End of Contract
by Lykanthropa
Summary: The contract of the 9 mercenaries of Mann Co. has expired after 5 hard years. The boys are looking forward to return to their families. But there is a clause in the contract that was not obvious
1. Home time (?)

**Home time (?)**

In the early evening, the Mercs, laughing and chatting, return to their base in 2Fort in Engie's Truck after successfully completing their mission. The golden evening sun accompanies them. In the last 5 years they have carried out many missions, fought, died, returned and fought on. Commanded by a woman of whom they only know the voice. The Mercs just call her _The Administrator_. There are loudspeakers everywhere in the base. Through these, the administrator gives them the commands. And not just that. There are cameras, through which she watches them.  
But this mission was special because it was the last one. The last time the mercenaries had to fight. After 5 years their contract expires and they can go back to their families. They are already sitting on packed suitcases. Tomorrow morning their train will leave. Although they are all looking forward to returning and leaving Mann Co. behind, each and every one feels a little twinge in their heart. They are all used to each other, they were like a family. It hurts when they have to part.

2Fort, a so-called map, was also part of some of their missions in the past. They often had many different bases in which they had lived. 2Fort is a small, completely fenced-in area with two buildings facing each other, connected by a wooden bridge construction with a roof under which is a water basin where the sewage water from both bases flows into it.  
The special feature of these buildings is that they are completely different from each other. One is wood, the other metal. One red, the other blue. Previously they had fought here with an opposing team for each of the opposing secret material, while their own was to be protected. The Mercs had always said that playfully "capture the flag", but the last mission of this kind has been over a year. And since then they have not heard anything from the opposing team. They do not know if their contract has already expired or if they are employed elsewhere. Anyway, the blue metal building is now a taboo zone, which must not be entered under any circumstances. Strict instruction of the administrator. But none of them has too much curiosity anyway. Not even scout. The orders have always taken them completely in and now they have only the journey home in focus.

One last time, the mercenaries carry their weapons down the Intelligence Room, where their secret material was once located. There are now 9 large, straw-filled boxes. It's hard for the boys to part with their weapons. Heavy hugs his minigun. "Oh Sasha... Heavy will miss you."  
Medic and Engineer give him a comforting pat on the shoulder.  
"It's okay, Heavy. Take your time. It is also difficult for me to let slip away my Medigun forever. And for the others it's certainly no different."  
"Yeah... It's kinda weird...", Scout agrees and looks at his scattergun before placing it in the box. Soldier imitates him, embeds his rocket launcher on the straw and salutes goodbye. Spy takes his last cigarette out of the disguise kit and places it in one of the boxes along with the butterfly knife, the sapper, and the watch. Followed by the grenade launcher and stickybomb launcher, the flamethrower (from Pyro's point of view it's the rainblower), the rescue ranger, the sniper rifle and the medigun. Only when these weapons have found their place, Heavy brings the courage to separate from his Sasha and puts her carefully in the last box.  
"I feel somehow naked and defenseless without my weapons," remarks Demoman.  
"Yes, but I'm sure that we will quickly get used to normal life again. And then all this will be nothing but a faded memory in the back of our minds."  
"Pfft! Spy. Always positive, aren't you?"  
"I just wanted to cheer him and everyone else up. Anyway, I'm glad it's over, because I think you should finally pursuing a decent and, above all, a normal job, Jeremy. Just like us adults did before we came to Mann Co."  
"Yeah, sure. Vacuum cleaner salespeople like you, or what?"  
"What? The fine Frenchman was a vacuum cleaner salespeople?" Demoman laughs. "That would explain his preference for suits."  
"Vacuum cleaner salespeople are America's natural enemies!"  
"Screw you! I will not follow in your footsteps. I will become a world famous baseball player!"  
Heavy bangs on the table. The bang makes everyone present wince and the Russian has their undivided attention now. He looks around one.  
"Why do little men argue? Today is last day as a team!"  
"Heavy is right" Engineer agrees. "We argued the last 5 years. Today, on the last day, we should get along without quarrels and enjoy the last few hours together."  
Sniper lifts his arm. "I'm in. I just want to chill out."  
"Yo Snipes, you've been chilling out all those years in your nest while chilling aiming with your sniper rifle at the heads of our enemies and then chilling killed them. By the way, you have drunk your coffee and not even to piss you got up. You didn't have to move a millimeter. More chilling is not possible. And today, on the last day, you want nothing else than chilling. Care to respond?"  
"…Sniping's a good job mate!"  
Amused laughter fills the room.  
"Hudda!"  
"Pyro says he's hungry" Engineer says.  
"Aye! Where you mentioned it." Demoman holds his stomach. "Me too."  
A loud crackle from one of the loudspeakers on the ceiling attracts the attention of the Mercs and shortly thereafter the well-known voice of the administrator speaks to them.  
_"Good job, mercenaries. I'm very satisfied. As a token of my appreciation and because your last mission was today, I have prepared a feast for you. Go in front of the respawn room."_  
"For real?! What are we waiting for then?"  
Demoman, Scout, Sniper and Pyro start running. Spy sighs. "Will this kid ever grow up?"  
"That comes from having European genes. If he were a complete American, there would be nothing wrong with him!"  
As Spy walks by, he answers, "Well, Mon Ami, that just means American genes are not dominant. Besides, sometimes you behave like an immature child, too. You know?"  
"Take that back, Frenchie!" Soldier follows the Frenchman in a scolding tone.  
"I think I'll miss that" Engie says with a smile.  
"Da. It was nice time."

Heavy, Medic and Engineer are following the others.  
"What about you, Doc?"  
"I will miss the legalized experiments and everything about it."  
"Will doctor miss team too?"  
"Hm? Oh! Yes, sure."  
Heavy gives Medic a reproachful look.  
"Of course I'll miss you too, Heavy. After all, you were my only family I ever had in my life. I think I just get used to being alone very quickly."  
"Don't you have anybody waiting for you at home?"  
"No. When my parents died shortly after my 14th birthday, I was all alone from now on. That's why I'm sorry if, back then, when we first met, I behaved defensive and sullen. Even though I always had to deal with people. But they were patients to whom I had no emotional connection. Unlike you. Maybe that had overwhelmed me a bit."  
"We didn't know. You really don't have to apologize, Doc."  
Medic makes a gesture of refusal. "It's okay. Just let it be. Let's enjoy our last evening."  
"OH MY GOD! How cool is that?" Scouts voice echoed through the base.  
"Must be something big, if it makes the boy cry like this" says Engineer with a smile. A delicious smell of meat and gravy comes to meet them shortly thereafter.  
"God, Scout! Wait at least until the others are here!" they hear Spy admonish him.  
As Medic, Engineer, and Heavy arrive at the top, they are also amazed when they see this large table extending from them to the respawn room. Adorned with a snow-white tablecloth, nine plates were placed on the left and right of the table, with three large silver dining bells in the middle, hiding hot delicacies. One of the bells has already been removed, releasing the scent of roast pork in the air and enveloping the whole base.  
Around it are small plates with different salads.  
Scout already wants to lift the second bell, but Spy wants to stop him. "No, Scout!"  
"Pfft! Don't pretend you don't wanna know what's underneath. Besides, all are here now." The second bell reveals different kinds of meat. Sausage, schnitzel, spicy-looking buffalo wings and steaks. The various fragrances mingle in the air and make the Mercs mouth watering. Under the third bell are sandwiches. A little disappointed, Scout shrugs his shoulders and turns his attention to the meat. Heavy, on the other hand, is delighted.  
"That looks pretty good" says Demoman, but looks disappointed. "But where is the swill?"  
"Here, mate!" Sniper reaches under the table and brings out a bottle of rum from there.  
Demoman copies him and discovers other bottles. Wine of all kinds, schnapps, beer. Even vodka is there.  
"Yeah! Now it's a party." The Scot opens a rum bottle and takes a sip from it.  
"Now let's sit down and finally eat!" The Mercs like to follow Scout's request and everyone is looking for his place. "Hehe. Hadn't thought that the old woman would do something for us like this."  
"She can hear you, boy" Engineer reminds him.  
"Was not meant pejorative. I just mean I didn't expect that from her. After all, she always appears so cold and callous. I always thought she doesn't care about us."  
The Mercs are digging food on their plates. There is something for everyone and the plates are individually filled (for Pyro there is only one bowl of soup with a straw, but he seems to be very happy about that). But before they can take a bite, it crackles in the speaker above them on the ceiling. Scout makes himself very small. He's worried that his words will now be doom him.  
All mercenaries look up to the loudspeaker, waiting for whatever the administrator has to tell them.  
_"My dear mercenaries, my last command to you is that you eat as much as you can. Enjoy your meal. Take your time. Consider this dinner as your last meal. When you are done, I will contact you again. And now - good appetite."_  
It crackles again in the speaker and it becomes quiet.

"…last meal?"  
"In fact a very strange term" Medic agrees to Heavy.  
I think it fits. I will not eat like that for a long time anymore."  
Scout is about to tuck in but Soldier bangs his fist on the table, making the dishes clatter.  
"Not now, private!"  
"Now, what is it?"  
"First a prayer is spoken!"  
"Are you kiddin' me? I'm starving!"  
"I'm not a believer, but I agree with Soldier."  
"Pah! You can talk. You just beheaded a bottle and have had a few already. That's why you're talking nonsense."  
"Scout, please. Only once." Spy speaks with such gentleness in his voice that even Scout cannot argue with that. Or wants.  
"Hmpf! Whatever…"  
The Mercs fold their hands for prayer, close their eyes and lower their heads.  
"Holy Mary, mother of Joseph."  
"Oh God…"  
"Gott im Himmel."  
"Silence! At a dinner prayer only one speaks! Holy Mary, mother of Joseph. We thank you for this meal. And thank you for the last five wonderful years I could kicking Faggot-Maggots in the ass."  
The others secretly open their eyes and look at each other.  
"You've been protecting us all the time and I ask you to continue to keep holding your protecting hand over my team wherever they go. Also the Europeans and the Aussie. Amen."  
"Wow, Soldier... We didn't know you felt that way for us." Engie's face has a heartwarming smile and the others feel equally flattered. Also Scout, but the boy doesn't want to show it and instead says: "What do you mean by your team?"  
"That's right, City Boy! You are my team! You have always been. I'm responsible for you and that's why I pray for you. Finally, I'll have to let you go tomorrow. I cannot take care of you anymore. In addition, I'm sitting at the head of the table! That says everything!"  
"We'll miss you too, Soldier."  
"You will!"  
"Okay, okay! Now we can eat, right?"  
"Dig in, son" gives Soldier Scout his permission, and he takes that literally. Scout takes the steak in both hands and bites a big piece off.  
"God, Scout! Use at least knife and fork! If your mother would see that."  
Scout's mouth is überfull, so he uses his middle finger to answer.  
"Hmph!" Spy pours himself a full glass of wine, leans back and tries to ignore Scout's antics.  
Heavy has opted for steaks and sandwiches. But mostly sandwiches can be found on his plate. Medic next to him enjoys a sausage in addition he eats (by the most untouched) salad. Only Sniper also uses the healthy greens. Demoman and Soldier are also among the meat-eaters, although Demo is actually more drinking than eating.  
And Pyro sips his soup comfortably.

Engineer starts with the Bufallo wings. They are actually as spicy as they look. They taste almost like the original from Texas. Only now does the mid-forties realize how much he misses his home. But the homesickness will not last long, because tomorrow it gets back home. He will return to his ranch, to his beloved barn, where he can tinker with his machines. And then there's his old father waiting for him…  
"Hey boys. What will you do when you get back home?" he asks almost melancholy.  
Scout wants to be the first to answer, so he greedily chokes down the piece of steak. but it gets stuck halfway and he begins to cough and choke.  
"Medic!" he managed to scream, but the doctor remains calm.  
"It's quitting time" he just answers merely and continue to eat. Spy hits the kid on the back with his hand, but that doesn't work either. He reaches for his bonk and pours the energy drink into his throat.  
"I'll return to the heart of America and develop my skills as a soldier!"  
"Does that mean even after Mann Co. you still want to work as a mercenary?"  
"No, I will only fight for my country and for that I have to keep myself in shape. Who knows when the Germans start World War III?"  
"Hmph! So this is how you thank me for treating your wounds? But since I know you, I will not blame you" Medic answers cold.  
"You are excluded!"  
"Aha, and why that?"  
"Because you are half an American!"  
"Interesting. I did not know that yet. I assume that was a compliment. Thanks for that."  
"What are you going to do, Doc?"  
Medic looks thoughtfully at Engineer for a moment. "Well, actually I would like to continue to work as a doctor, but for that I would need a license and I'm not sure if I would get those at my age. I also believe that the world is not ready for my kind of medical knowledge. I think I will use the money for pigeon breeding."  
"Why pigeons?"  
"Not any pigeons. White doves. I train them as carrier pigeons and send them to you every few years."  
"That sounds nice. But they would have to travel long distances. Could they do that anyway?"  
"With my medicine, they could easily fly around the world in 80 days."  
"I'm already looking forward to my first carrier pigeon" replies Heavy. "And then Doctor will not be alone anymore."  
"You're right, Heavy. I will have many pigeons. And I will give eight of them your names."  
"I didn't know you could be that emotional, Doc" Sniper joins in now.  
"The last five years have been something special for me. And like every human being I try to connect these memories with something from the present to bind this beautiful time to me."  
"I think we all will. What about you, Sniper?"  
"Hmm ... As much as I love my job as a sniper, I'll probably have to hang it up and help my parents on the farm. For years they have been in my ears how worried they are. Well, at least my mother. My dad used to scold me that I should finally looking for a decent job."  
"Like a farmer?"  
"Yes…"  
"You should do that, Herr Sniper. Your parents are not the youngest anymore. You should be with them while they are still alive."  
Thoughtfully, the Australian nods and stares down at his plate.  
"Hey, chin up, lad. I know how you feel. My old mother is also the last one I have. I know she will not live forever either, so I give up my job as a bomb specialist and enter into the family business. My mother's wish is that I take the company over after her death. She always says that it should stay in the family. That means for me that I should start my own family. But I'm just too old for that. I spent my youth working on bombs, perfecting myself so I missed out on starting a family."  
"Is she angry with you because of that, partner?"  
"Nah. Even when I was a child, she forgave me all the mischief I've ever done, even though she was very strict. Especially after the death of my father. Probably because I'm her only child. We have a very close relationship and as long as she lives, I will not leave her side."  
"Anyone with parents understands that they care about their children. Neither mother nor father want them to survive their children. Scout's mother only allowed him to work as a mercenary because I'm with him."  
Having finally won the fight against the stubborn piece of meat, Scout swallows it and takes a deep breath.  
"How dare you? I can take care of myself!"  
"Scout, you screw up the whole mood…"  
"You can't tell me a thing! You're not my father!"  
"Yes, I am."  
"I wish you were not."  
"How can you say that, boy? A well-bred son does not talk to his father like that."  
"He was never there for me! He was always on the road to work as a spy for some moneybacks. That was more important to him than me and my Ma! If I be wrong, tell me!"

"Exactly. When we get back home, you will continue to work as a spy and leave us alone again. You make me sick!"

A veil of silence falls on the team. Engineer feels bad. He just wanted to have a nice conversation with his team and not provoke a fight. He wonders if he should tell Scout that his mother and father are holy and that he can be happy to have both, but he decides differently and stays silent. Only Demoman interrupts the silence.  
"What about you, Engie?"  
"Huh?"  
"What will you do afterwards?"  
"I will return to my ranch. To my workshop and my dad."  
"And what does he say about your career choice?" Sniper asks curiously.  
"Well, I would say that I really take after him. In his youth he also worked as a mercenary."  
"At Mann Co.?"  
"Yes. I was 20 when he returned. He was... changed. He never talked about his job. I had the impression that he was the only survivor to come back from a war. He had retired. Even when mother died, he didn't attend the funeral. I'm the only one he still has and whom he trusts."  
"I'm sorry, Engie."  
"Thank you. I appreciate it."  
"And you, Heavy? You cannot wait until you're back with your mother and sisters, am I right?"  
Medic gives the Russian a well-meaning smile, which Heavy replies.  
"Da. Miss my family very much. I'll take care of them. Have earned enough money to make ends meet for many years."  
When Heavy speaks so proudly about his family, the mood in the room lights up.  
"And what are we going to do with Smokey Joe here?" Soldier throws into the room and everyone looks at Pyro.  
"Hhmpf?"  
"Yes, what happens to Pyro? Does he even have a home or family?"  
Pyro lays his head to the side.  
"I think he has nobody…"  
"If so, then one of us should take care of him" Engineer suggests.  
The rest of the group is silent. Nobody wants to have Pyro near them. Especially not near their family. It tears the Texan's heart, but he can understand it.  
"Oh well, Partner. Then you come with me."  
"Hudda?"  
"My ranch is very big. There are also horses. You like animals, don't ya?"  
"Truckie, are you sure you want to do that?"  
"Why not? There is enough space. Besides, Pyro and I had always had a close relationship, hadn't, partner?"  
Pyro claps his hands like a little child.  
"Well, at least he understands you better than us... But actually, I meant more like his preference for fire. In Texas, it is very dry and on your ranch there is certainly a lot of wood?"  
"I'm will be have an eye on him. It will be fine. When repairing machines, he may use the welding torch. That will distract him."  
"Whatever you say, mate."

It's getting dark outside. The ceiling lamp above the table now gives them light.  
After two hours, the table is almost completely empty.  
"Scout leans back in his chair and strokes his filled stomach." That was good. If that had really been my hangman's meal, I could die now in peace."  
"I completely agree, Kiddo" confirms Sniper.  
"I could fall asleep immediately. I have never looked forward to my bed that much."  
"…I will miss you. Thank you for all the nice years and your friendship. I will always remember it. Also this moment."  
"This constant, emotional impregnated blarney really is a pain in the ass…" growls Scout.  
"He says he will miss you as well" Spy translates.  
Scout is far too bloated with food and too tired to discuss with his father why his middle finger is used again. He is annoyed. Annoyed, because Spy is right.  
It starts to crackle again in the speakers above them.  
"Now the administrator addresses the last word to us. I will somehow miss her voice…"  
_"Did it taste it?"_  
The nine affirm her question in different ways.  
_"Surely you cannot wait to return home tomorrow, are you? Unfortunately, I have to disappoint you. You will never see your families again."_  
The mercenaries caught their breath. Initially, Scout thinks that's a joke, which is why he says with amusement: "What? Do we have to do the dishes ourselves? As much as this is, this could actually take years." But the boy soon realizes that neither the Mercs nor the Administrator laugh. "Right?" he asks uncertainly.  
_"You will not leave this place alive."_  
Soldier shoots up from his chair. "That's egregious! I fought for Mann Co. yearslong and that's the thanks I get?"  
_"You all have read your contract?"_  
"What does the contract have to do with it?" Demoman barks. His voice trembles. The thought of never seeing his mother again makes him panicked, scared and angry at the same time.  
_"There is a clause in it that may not be obvious."_  
An unholy silence settles on the team.  
_"If the contract expires, the mercenaries must be killed."_  
Terrified faces - and yet they somehow knew it. They should have known it from the moment the Administrator used the word hangman's meal. Because this woman never jokes. But what would that have changed about their situation?  
"Where exactly should this clause stand?" Spy asks almost tonelessly.  
_"I have had your contracts brought to respawn room."_  
Spy sets out to walk the few yards to respawn room. The gate opens and there he sees them already lying. All nine contracts are lying neatly side by side on the bench. The Frenchman takes his contract and returns to the others in the vestibule, leafing through the few pages. He is a quick reader, but he cannot find a contract clause that entitles the Administrator to kill them after the contract expires. It would have been more than foolish to sign this contract with such a clause. That would have been suicide.  
"I can't find it."  
_"You will find it under the clause of confidentiality."_  
"A clause in a clause. I assume that Mann Co. is hoping that the people they are hiring cannot read between the lines." Spy looks at the camera in the corner. The small, permanently red glowing point that they have been exposed for years appeals suddenly very threatening.  
_"This clause is the most important of all, but it must not be too obvious. That would scare away mercenaries."_  
"Quite rightly!"  
_"Believe me. It's a shame to get rid of men like you, but everything you've done, seen, and heard here must not go outside. That's why you have to die. I didn't make the rules, but if I oppose it, Mann Co. will need a successor for me."_  
"But you are not averse to it, are you?"  
_"Not at all. It's purely business."_  
"I assume that the BLU team did not travel home or was transferred, am I right?"  
_"You are right with your guess. They are dead."_  
Scout starts shaking all over. He takes a deep breath and then jumps up from his chair. With his index finger pointing at the camera, he yells: "Bullshit! That's bullshit! You cannot do that! They would search for us!"  
_"You mean your families? Their efforts would not be crowned with success. Mann Co. is a shadow hidden in the dark, impossible to track down. Your fate is sealed from the very moment you signed this contract."_  
Medic looks back and forth between the Mercs. His gaze finally lingers on Heavy. He was completely silent the whole time. His horrified look is directed at the empty plate in front of him. How must he feel inside, after these words? What does it feel like to be told that you will never see your family again? Medic does not know. He has no family. He has nothing to lose. But he will do everything possible to make the others return home.  
Almost with complete calm, he looks up at the camera. "How should we be killed?"  
_"In the same way as the BLU team was wiped out."_

Suddenly a loud noise penetrates their ears. It echoes throughout the place, sounds like a commissioned machine. Quick the Mercs make their way to the outdoor platform, from where they have a good view of the BLU building. There are now the lights on which lights up the dark night sky brightly. From there comes this disturbing sound.  
"What happens over there?"  
"No matter what comes our way, we will not give up without a fight!" announces Demoman.  
_"You have your weapons at your disposal. But remember, your respawn codes have been completely deleted. There will never be a way for anyone of you to return. Good luck."_  
And with that the speaker becomes silent and the mercenaries stay alone.  
"That I will miss her voice, I take back immediately."  
"That's alright, partner. You couldn't know that. No one of us could it."  
With horrified, angry, and incredulous eyes, they stare across to this large, factory-like building, which has something in it that want to kill them. But whatever that may be, they will fight it. Their last fight as mercenaries begins. And this time it's all about life and death.  
Soldier takes the floor. "So, soldiers! You heard it! The war is not over yet! We are tired and exhausted, but give your best for the last time! And don't forget! You are the best of the best! Let us Mann Co. regret the day they hired us!"


	2. A new enemy

"And? What are we going to do, boys?"  
The mercenaries had returned to the table to confer while Sniper stayed on the outer deck to continue watching the factory building.  
"What do you think? We have to go over and see what's going on there!"  
"Scout's right, but we should not all go" agrees Spy, while he does not take his eyes off the secrecy clause.  
"Glad to hear that you finally admit that I'm right with something, but can you tell me why you don't finally take this shitty contract out of your hands?"  
"I try to find out what I missed back then."  
"That doesn't matter!"  
"It does!" Spy hits the paper on the tabletop, gets up from his chair and walks close to Scout. "It does" he repeats. "If I had been more attentive, I would not have endangered my son."

"I promised your mother that nothing will happen to you. And now we are all doomed to death. Your mother will never forgive me for that. And me neither."  
The boy turns his head away and keeps silent. Spy falls back onto the chair and braces his head on both hands.

Demoman is just returning from the respawn room. All eyes rest on him now.  
"And?" asks Soldier impatiently.  
The Scot shakes his head in disappointment. "Nothing. The phone is dead."  
"We might have guessed. Mann Co. condemns us to death and doesn't interrupt all connections to the outside world? They're up to every trick."  
"What about the fence? What if we climb over it?"  
"Some things are contradictory to this possibility."  
"And which?"  
Medic crosses his arms. "Leaving aside the fact that Mann Co. thought of this possibility as well? Maybe they electrified it. However, if this is not the case, some of us here will not be able to climb over this high fence."  
"Heavy can not climb" says the Russian.  
"You see, not everyone would be able to climb over it. And I think I speak for all when I say that not a single one will be left behind."  
"Then just let us burn a hole into it, big enough for everyone!" persists Scout.  
"Suppose we could actually escape from here. Behind this fence, a seemingly endless wasteland awaits us. Truck and Van would not drive long enough to take us to the next civilization. The only thing that leads away from here is the train. And it will not take us anywhere. Any escape route is cleared out of the way. No matter how we die, we will die. Also, I believe that should we really escape from here alive and reach civilization, Mann Co. will pursue us until they have us all. We will never be able to lead a normal life without fear of being killed at any moment. On top of that, there is a possibility that your families might run into danger because of that."  
"…creepy."  
"Great speech, Doc." Scout claps his hands sarcastically.  
Medic feels bad about the words he uttered, because he actually intended to help everyone return home. But he is a realist and what is happening right now is reality.  
"Medic is right" agrees Heavy. "I will never see my mother and sisters again. No matter if Heavy dies or not…"  
"That's what I call a hopeless situation..."  
Heavy agrees to Engineer's words with a nod.  
The Mercs are silent for a moment. The thought of a final death or leading a hopeless life without their family is terribly overwhelming and takes them breath away.

"Hey... Maybe Sniper, Doc, Heavy, Spy and Demoman will be lucky if they return to their homeland."  
"I know you want to encourage us, Engineer. But you know that nowhere in the world are we safe from a company like Mann Co. They are everywhere" Spy answers. "Besides, my family is here in America."  
"America is _my_ home! However, I'm not willing to let this place become my tomb!" adds Soldier. "I can imagine far better places to fall."  
"Okay, okay! Could we finally end this depressed conversation and clarify who is going over there now?" Scout picks up the topic again.  
"I think Scout and Spy should go" Demoman suggests.  
"I can understand if you want me to go. But why do I have to take him with me?"  
"You are fast and he can make himself invisible. If you are in danger, both of you are at an advantage with these abilities, lad."  
Spy nods in agreement. "That's a good idea."  
"Pfft! I can do it on my own."  
"No, Scout. If something goes wrong, nobody can help you. Together we are on the safe side. You must not forget if we die, respawn isn't an option anymore."  
Irritated Scout puts his hands on his hips and seems to think twice. "Okay, okay. We go together. Whatever..."  
"Well, let's get our equipment."  
"Stay here. I'll get it. With you in tow, that would take too long." With these words, the boy speeds off, down into the intelligence room.

"Hudda…"  
"It's all right, buddy. Everything will be fine." Engineer puts an arm around Pyro.  
"Engineer, you should build your Sentry. Just in case. Sniper hasn't sounded any alarm yet, but we should be prepared for a surprise attack."  
Engineer nods to Spy. "You're right. We don't know what to expect, but we must not neglect our coverage. I get to work immediately."  
"We should also get our weapons. Heavy and Demoman, you come with me!" orders Soldier. Along with Engineer, the three follow Scout down.  
Pyro, Medic and Spy stay behind. Medic sits down at the table to the Frenchman who had taken the contract back into his hands.  
"I don't understand..." begins the German "why they didn't just poison our food. That would have been the easiest and safest way to kill us."  
"That would have been dishonorable. We worked for Mann Co. for years. And I believe the words of the administrator. That it's not easy for the company to kill us. But they have to, so they want us to die in battle. That is the last reverence they want to offer us."  
"That sounds plausible indeed. Strange... Although there is little to no chance of survival for us, I feel completely calm. I had always imagined Godfather Death will visit me when I'm ninety-year-old. I would lie on my deathbed and my whole life passes in front of my inner eye."  
"Would you have regretted something?"  
"No. And you?"  
"Just that I didn't spend enough time with my family. I always hoped to close up on my son when we work together for Mann Co. That he sees what I have led a life, he may understands me better. But I was wrong. This hopeless situation, in which I have gotten both of us, is perhaps the very last chance to keep in with him. I don't want him to die with this hate towards me. That should not be the last thing he feels."  
"Although I have no children, I believe that your wish will be fulfilled. Death and hopelessness have brought many people together again."  
"You talk about your patients, do you?"  
"Yes. I have already witnessed many strokes of fate. Mothers and fathers who were about to dying, conciliated with their children, with whom they had been arguing for years. In the last moments, there was no sign of hatred and contempt. I was always happy that I was not a part of that. I lived alone and I wanted to die alone."  
"I'm sorry if I have to disappoint you, but you're not alone."  
"Yes..." Medic smiles sheepishly.  
"Hmpf…"  
Spy and Medic look over to Pyro. He sits on a chair far away from them and plays with his lighter. He seems nervous.  
"Pyro." When he hears his name, he looks up. Medic pushes back the chair next to him. "Come over here."  
In fact he obeys, sits down next to Medic and hugs him. Medic looks surprised and uncomfortable, but it does not last long. He puts a hand on his back. "It's okay. You are not alone either."  
Silently, Spy watches this scenario.

Fast, lightly footsteps approach them and then Scout is back in the room. In one hand Spy's equipment, in the other Mundy's sniper rifle.  
"Here, catch!" The boy throws the Ambassador and the watch across the table to Spy, who cleverly catches the items.  
"Where is my disguise kit?"  
"Don't know what you need it for."  
"All right. Let's go." Spy gets up from his chair. Medic emulates his deeds.  
"Take care of yourselves."  
"Merci, Docteur."  
"Yeah, yeah."  
"Maybe I should come with you. We wait until Soldier and the others are back, to get my Medigun. If you get hurt, you need me. Because what does it to be quick or to be invisible when you are wounded and may lose blood?"  
"Under no circumstance. You are the most precious of all of us. You are the only one of us with medical knowledge and dealing with the Medigun. If we lose you, we can give up without a fight right now. In addition, the smaller the group, the higher the chances of survival. Don't worry. We will return unharmed. Support the defense here."  
Medic looks over at Scout. He nods his head. He suddenly seems so serious and grown-up.  
"Okay, I stay here. Should you really get hurt, I will instantly feed you up in no time. Without ruffle or excitement and in safety."  
"We could not expect anything more. Let's go, Scout."  
"Sure, just bring Snipes his toy."  
Spy uses the stairs down while Scout heads for Sniper on the outer deck.

"Yo, Snipes. Here." The boy hands the gun to the Australian.  
"Thanks, kid." When Sniper takes his beloved sniper rifle, a relieved smile appears on his face. Scout does not miss that.  
"Good feeling to hold the gun back in hands, eh?" he says with a grin.  
"Too right!"  
"Nothing has happened yet?" Scout asks, looking at the factory building.  
"Absolutely nothing. And I cannot say if that's good or bad. I didn't realize that before, but this place here... is full of death. How many men did I kill from this place with my rifle? It didn't notice that because they came back, but now that the respawn system is no use to us, I know what we really are."  
"Sure thing! We are mercenaries! Professionals in what we were hired for. And if you ask me, the respawn system didn't really make us look like mercenaries."  
"What do you mean?"  
"It's easy! We have always plunged into the fighting knowing that we are not really dying. No matter in what way. Whether we were shot, torn or burnt. Everyone has been professional in their own way."  
"I still don't know what you're getting at."  
"What I mean is that only now that the respawn system is gone are we real mercenaries. Mercenaries and soldiers fight with the knowledge that they could die and never return. All around the world. That's the way it should work and not otherwise. While other mercenaries fight to the death, we appear like sissies. One could get the impression that we are only brave enough to fight because we can be revived. But now it's different. Starting today, for the first time since joining Mann Co., we will fight like real mercenaries."  
"I see... In the beginning I thought so too. But I have to say that I was glad about the respawn system. The first time I died by another sniper, it had created an absolute emotional turmoil in me. I had always thought of myself as the perfect sniper, who couldn't be stopped by anything or anyone. But with my first death, I realized that I'm not perfect. There will always be one who is better than you. And even then I died several times. This experience has taught me a lot. Besides, the thought of fighting without the respawn system made me crazy. I would have stayed dead and couldn't call my parents anymore. They could not hear my voice anymore. The only thing they would get is a letter from the company telling them about my death. I know that would have destroyed my mother in particular. And now... now I'm afraid that's what's going to happen. No matter how good we may be, somebody will always be better than us." With dull eyes, Sniper stares over at the BLU building. The sound of machines is still clearly audible. "Or something."  
"...even if you survive this, you would not be able to see your parents anymore."  
"Yeah, I've heard you." Sniper is silent for a moment and swallows this big lump, then he changes the subject. "Be careful over there, Kiddo."  
"Pfft! I can take care of myself."  
"You've been killed several times in the past five years, too." Mundy smiles.  
"Yeah, whatever…"

"Scout!"  
The scout steps close to the edge of the outer deck and looks down. Spy stands there with his arms crossed. "Are you coming?"  
Scout jumps down and lands gracefully next to the Frenchman. "What's your problem? I'm already here."  
"Hmpf."  
They both approach the bridge, but don't enter it yet. With a bad feeling, they look at the building, which was were strictly forbidden to enter. But now there are no rules anymore.  
Spy turns to Sniper, who looks with eagle-eyes through the lens of his sniper rifle. He stands very still up there, almost giving the impression of a statue.  
"Don't ever let the entrance out of sight, Bushman!"  
"Scout, don't ever let the Spook out of your sight."  
"That's a no-brainer!" the runner replies with a grin.  
Spy can best ignore that when he smokes a cigarette. When he briefly searches his suit, he remembers that he does not have his cigarette case with him. He takes a deep breath and finally enters the old wooden bridge without another word.  
"Woah, woah, woah! Not so fast, go-getter!" Scout catches up with him. "Don't be afraid what you might expect in there, old man? Maybe you should let me go ahead first."  
"Scout... I may be over 40, but I have the most experience of both of us."  
"Pfft! I don't know if you got it, but I've been a mercenary for five long years."  
Spy cannot resist a sarcastic smile. "And that makes you a professional? I've been working as a spy since I was your age. Especially now that there is no respawn, you should not overestimate yourself."  
"Aha... Do you feel well that you left Ma alone with me and all my brothers, eh?"  
"I came to you as often as I could. You didn't miss anything. I've sent you enough money monthly."  
The bridge is overcome and father and son are standing now in front of the BLU building.  
"Of course that excuses everything."  
"Jeremy!"  
Spy's loud voice reverberates through the place and would have been audible for a mile if the mechanical noise had not swallowed it immediately. Scout crosses his arms.  
The Frenchman clears his throat and then speaks in a calm voice.  
"Jeremy, I can never make amends. I cannot retrieve the lost time."  
"You're damn right. And do you know what else you stole from me? My old life. If Doc is right, I will never again see my Ma or my brothers ever again. Dead or alive. It won't make a difference." Scout's voice trembles, but he stays calm. Probably an inner eruption of many different emotions that balks the rage and anger. Then the outbreak will not be long in coming. "And again you messed everything up. Too bad that there are no awards for bad fathers. You're at the top of the nomination list."  
Spy shows no emotion, but inside, these words destroy him.  
"Pah! Leaves you cold, right? I'm not surprised. But you know what, I don't give a shit. And now we'll never talk about it again. Makes no sense anyway. I look around at the top, you at the bottom." With these words, Scout jumps to the outside facade and cleverly climbs up to the outer platform.  
"Jeremy! We should stay together!"  
The boy looks down at him. "Something else. Never call me Jeremy again. You do not have the right to do that." Then he's gone and Spy is left alone.

Sniper, who had been watching the whole scenario through his telescope, lowers his sniper rifle. "Oh Spook…"  
He had never seen Spy so depressed, though he tried to maintain an illusion through his suit and aloofness. Although Mundy himself has no children, he is still someone else's child. If parents and children argue with each other, neither side gets cold. No matter what is said. He knows that. After all, he had fought many conflicts with his own father all his life.  
Spy and Scout have had arguments over and over the years, but they were joking. At least from Scout's side. Now Mundy realizes that all this was just played. Phrases disguised in funny words, behind which scouts hid true feelings. And now, now that they are all standing with their backs to the wall, the facades are crumbling. That experience will bind them nine much closer together than the last five years ever could.  
United until death.  
Suddenly, Sniper's body is enveloped in a red, familiar mist that causes a pleasant shiver in him. He turns his head to the left and discovers Medic, who stands a few steps away from him and holds the beam of his medigun aimed at him. He had not heard him come.  
Medic smiles and raises his Medigun. "Time for the last Übercharge" he just says.  
Mundy returns that smile. "It seems we have to earn our beer o'clock first."  
The doctor opens his mouth to say something when Soldier's thunderous voice calls for him.  
"**Come here, cupcake! Me and my rocket launcher will make your Über get a move on! Engie! Deploy the dispenser here!**"  
"Ya don't have to yell at me. I'm standing right next to you." His words follow the sound of Engineer's wrench as it strikes metal with considerable speed.  
"I was hoping he wouldn't call me by that name again."  
"He is a soldier. He doesn't have to change. You just have to flip a switch and he is the one we met at that time."  
Medic laughs. "Yes. That's why I should not keep him waiting. See you. "Ludwig turns off his Medigun. As the mist around Sniper's body disappears, he suddenly feels so vulnerable and unshielded. A slight hint of fear comes over him.  
"Wait a sec, Doc!"  
"What is it?"  
"Do you believe in God?"  
Medic looks surprised, but his face is quickly filled with a sympathetic smile. "Herr Sniper, you know that a man of science does not believe in the existence of a god."  
"Yeah… Sorry."  
"But if he existed... he would surely banish me to hell."  
"What makes you think that? You are a doctor. You save lives. You relieve pain."  
"You know... to be able to do all these things and become a good doctor, you have to hurt first and more…"  
"I... think I understand. Thanks for your honesty."  
With a thoughtful expression on his face and a barely noticeable nod, Medic disappears behind the corner. Sniper had also made his words think, but he really doesn't want to think.  
He straightens his hat and concentrates again on the opposite building.

"Is Doctor okay?"  
Heavy sits on one of the chairs, his minigun on his lap, which he carefully cleans with a cloth, even though it already shimmers as if it were like new. Pyro sits on the floor in the respawn room, occasionally releasing a short jet of flame from his flame thrower.  
"Yes I'm fine. Thanks, Heavy." Medic tries to bring a smile, but this only gives him a skeptical look of the Russian. He cannot fool him, but Heavy does not ask again what Medic is grateful for.  
"**Pumpkin!**"  
With a sigh, Medic continues his way and enters the boardwalk in the small backyard. Down there are Engineer and Soldier. The latter one carries his rocket launcher over his shoulder and looks up at Medic when he notices him.  
"Finally! My grandmother would have been here three times!"  
"Ja ja…" Mr. Ludwig climbs down the stairs.  
"Step aside, Engie!" The Texan obeys and places one arm on his dispenser, which he has placed against the wall between the two aisles.  
"Here it goes." Medic activates his Medigun and the red mist encases the soldier. Immediately he begins with his rocket jumps as professionally as ever. Jane Doe lets himself blown up by his missiles to build up the overload. At a reasonable distance, Medic observes the percentage value.  
"…97…98…99…" The Medigun lets hear her known howling as the overcharge is ready. "I'm charged."  
Soldier lands hard on the ground after the last jump. "Finally. It has always bothered me that your toy takes so long."  
"File your complaint to Mann Co. Is the Sentry ready?"  
"Of course" answers Engineer and points with his arm to the left. "There is the big one and there the little one." His arm swings right to the other corridor.  
"As if that little thing was a help" Soldier growls.  
"Better than nothing. But you are welcome to keep company with her when you are so worried" replies the technician.  
"It would be much easier if we knew who our enemy is."  
"Maybe other mercenaries who work more closely with Mann Co. Which, whose contract never expires. Those hired to kill people like us."  
"Would not that mean that they are far better than us? I mean, we are already the front-runners in our job. Absolute professionals."  
"Well, then we probably have to deal with _Über_professionals" answers Soldier sarcastically and reloads his rocket launcher at the dispenser.  
Medic sits on the steps of the stairs, leans his back against the wall and looks up at the dark evening sky. There is little light left. It will be pitch dark in an hour.  
"There will be no light soon... That doesn't make it any easier."  
"Nothing could make our situation easier or even more bearable."  
"Stop whining!"  
"You should now be more careful with your rocket jumps. We have no respawn and no more health packages, so I will be fully stretched. I am responsible for everyone now. Also for Spy, Sniper, Scout and Engineer."  
"I can take care of myself, sister!"  
"Take my words to heart."  
"I fought in World War II back then! There was no respawn either! And? I still live!"  
"Ach really? As far as I know, you were not even sent to war. You traveled to Europe on your own and when you got there, the war was over."  
"Of course the war was over. When the Germans heard of my coming, they gave up immediately."  
"Of course, Soldier. Of course."

When Spy entered the BLU base, he had activated his watch to look around unnoticed. The lower level seems to be safe. He also checks the entrance to the sewer. Every angle is abandoned. If this mechanical noise were not, you could assume that the whole building is deserted. But somebody or anything is here. Spy assumes that whatever it is, it's not in that part of the building. At least not yet.  
So it's time to go up to his son. The rascal is not heard. Although he is almost certain that nothing lurks above, he still hurries up the stairs worriedly. Scout is not to be seen in the antechamber of the respawn.  
The spy makes himself visible again, holding his ambassador at the ready and walking towards the gate of respawn room. It rolls up, exposing the view of an empty room. Then Scout can only be in the second respawn.  
Spy hits the road. He has to go to the outer platform. As he walks along, he suddenly remembers Sniper on the other side watching him through his telescope. The Frenchman stops and gives him a sign that everything is safe. It's almost dark, but he thinks he sees his figure over there. It moves. Looks like he's swinging an arm. The Bushman had understood and answered him.  
"Hmpf…"  
The roller shutter opens as he approaches and follows the corridor to the respawn room. Spy is so convinced that he finds Jeremy here that he almost lets hear a sound of surprise when he don't find him here. Is he already down to the intelligence room? That would be more than stupid of him.  
"Stupid boy…"

A noise lets Spy listen attentively. Carefully, he looks around the corner, which leads to the alleged dead end. But at the end of the short corridor there is an opening in the ground, through which you can get straight to the lower level.  
The spy approaches the floor hatch slowly. His pulse is rising. For a long time he hadn't such a physical reaction. Sure, his heart beat like a heart rammer, even if he was killed in those five years, especially by Pyro's flamethrower. But this heart racing is different. Something that tells him there will be no turning back if he dares to take a wrong step. All safeties are gone now. But just as before, before joining Mann Co., it was not the fear of being killed, but never seeing his family again. But this situation is much worse. His youngest child is here.  
With his weapon drawn, Spy looks down the floor hatch, but it's too dark to see. No, he can recognize something. A shadow moves down there. With his index finger on the trigger, the Frenchman aims his gun down there.  
"Boo!"  
Startled, Spy staggers a step backwards. When he recognizes Jeremy, he drops the Ambassador and massages his temple with one hand.  
Scout's head peers out of the opening with a grin, arms folded on the floor while his body hangs in the air.  
"Scout! I could have shot you!"  
"It wouldn't have surprise me."  
"What are you doing down there?"  
"Well, after I searched everything here, I'm down looking for you. Then I heard a noise. I knew it was you, so I thought, I'll scare you."  
"I could have been someone else."  
I hardly believe that. "Scout lets fall himself back to the lower level. Spy sighs and jumps behind. He doesn't want to let him out of his sight again.  
"I urge you to be more careful.  
"Pff!"  
Scout, for years, death couldn't hold you. But that doesn't mean that you should lose respect for him. You are good at what you are. But I've always had the feeling that you have sometimes been a bit too careless on some of the fights. And what are you doing now? You make me feel like you're not taking it seriously."  
The runner folds his arms behind his head and begins to walk down the hallway towards the courtyard.  
"Shall I honestly tell you something? I think the whole story here is nonsense. They're kiddin us. When I finished my school back then, the teachers had also played a similar trick on us."  
"To think that would be more than foolish. Mann Co. is not an educational institution, but a rich company that lets people kill each other for money."  
"Yeah yeah…"  
They reach the courtyard.  
"And now?"  
"The only place we haven't investigated yet is the Intelligence Room."  
Scout immediately jumps up the wooden stairs.  
"Scout! Don't neglect your cover!"  
"Whatever."

In the lowest level, no light penetrates from the outside, which is why it is gloomy down there.  
"You can't even see your hand in front of your face."  
"Wait a minute" Spy approaches the third respawn room. The gate opens and the ceiling light turns on automatically. The pale yellow illuminates the room and a piece of the corridor in front of the room. The lamp flickers every now and then, but that should be enough to look around.  
"Hey, good idea."  
"Where are you going?"  
"To look around?"  
"_I_ will do it. You stay here so the gate does not close."  
"Oh come on. I make it quick."  
"I said no!"  
Scout looks at him with that look, opens his mouth, but immediately closes it again and actually does what he's told. He steps under the gate and folds his arms, bouncing his foot impatiently up and down.  
"Then hurry up and don't fall asleep, old man."  
Spy doesn't find it hard to ignore this rude remark, makes himself invisible and on his way to the Intelligence room. It's surrounded by a slight glow coming from the monitors behind the glass. They were turned on, but no one is there to operate them.  
"…"

Scout leaned against the wall and looks bored into the respawn room. His eyes wander from one side to the other until they gets stuck at the storage cupboard. Whether there are still health packages and ammunition in there? If they are actually in acute danger (deep inside, he knows that the administrator never jokes), they will need every crumb to survive. Or at least to survive as long as possible. Because alive they will not come out here anymore. And even if... That would be no life after that. Without his Ma and his brothers, there is no life left for him.  
It starts to burn behind his eyes. With difficulty, Scout is able to swallow the tears.  
"You can cry if you feel like it."  
Jeremy winces at the voice. Spy becomes visible next to him. A serious expression on his face.  
"Pah! Why should I cry, huh?"  
"Hopelessness bothers all of us."  
"Hopelessness? If everything seems so hopeless to you, why don't you shoot yourself right here on the spot? I will return home. With or without you. You can bet your life on it!"

Scout pushes off the wall and heads for the supply cabinet. With great expectation he opens it, but it's empty.  
That figures…  
"Mann Co. covers all the bases. The other ones above will probably all be empty, too."  
"You think so?" Frustrated, Scout slams the doors shut and leans his head against them. "And?" The boy asks after a moment of silence. "What do we do now? Apparently you didn't find anything."  
"No. I just noticed that all the computers were on, but nobody was there. Apparently the factory was put into operation remotely."  
"If there is nobody here, who should we fight against?"  
"I don't know. But we find out the answer when we get into the factory area. The only question is, where is the entrance?"  
"Outside. Behind the fence, I suspect."  
"No. I've seen the BLU base countless times from the back and the side. There were no doors or anything like that. You have to get there from the base somehow."  
"But here is no way over there!"  
"…do you heat that too?"  
"What? You mean this constant mechanical noise? Of course I hear that! And it's getting on my nerves!" Scout clenches his hand into a fist and hits it against the supply cabinet.  
"I meant rather that it is much louder down here than upstairs."  
"Are you telling me that the entrance is down here? Camouflaged?"  
"Naturally. In all my years as a spy, I have learned that important spaces and areas are only accessible through secret passages. Or doors that don't look like doors." Spy puts his ear to the wall next to the closet and listens. "Like, for example, this supply cabinet" he finally says and begins to examine it. Scout takes two steps back and watches him.  
"What exactly are you doing?"  
"The factory building connects directly to the base from this side. Aha!"  
Now Aiméric starts to pull the benches off the wall. Although Scout is still skeptical, he helps him.  
"Now we have to move the cupboard."  
"O-okay!"  
Both of them tackle the monster out of steel and try to push it on one side of the wall.  
"Hhhhrrrgggghh! This thing is heavy! Apropos heavy... Why is Fatty never there when you need him?"  
"We only need a gap big enough for us to slip through."  
The cupboard can be moved with combined forces, little by little.  
"Oh God! I think my backbone is about to break!"  
"We're almost there! Don't give up!"  
For Scout it feels like an eternity when Spy finally gives the go-ahead. Completely exhausted, Jeremy lets stay the cupboard and looks at his aching hands. Red stripes are on them.  
"That should be enough" he hears Spy say. His jaw drops as he sees how far they had moved the supply cabinet.  
"That's at most 10 or 12 centimeter!"  
"That's more than enough."  
"I cannot believe it... there is really an opening."  
"Ready?"  
"Hold it!"  
"What is it now?"  
"Why did we have to move the cupboard? I mean, don't you have to first press a switch for secret openings or something? They could have hidden such a switch in the cupboard."  
"The supply cabinet is a frequently used aid. Too high would be the risk that one of the mercenaries would have discovered it. Of course it seemed wiser to move the whole cabinet. From the inside you can certainly move it with a switch."  
"And if one of the BLUs accidentally moves the cupboard?"  
"Then Mann Co. would have had him killed. Maybe even the whole team."  
"Maybe that's already happened. One year ago, we fought the Blu Team the last time and never saw them again. Their contract hadn't expired because they was hired at the same time as us. And we have _always_ fought against them."  
"You could be right with your guess. They found the secret path to the factory area and were probably killed in the very same night. That's why we were not allowed to entering the BLU base."  
"Creepy…"  
"Yes."  
"I noticed something else. There are no sanding marks on the ground. If the cupboard is movable, wouldn't the tiles marked of it?"  
"Mann Co. is thorough. They will have replaced the tiles with new ones."  
Scout is silent for a moment. The whole situation becomes unreal more and more. Maybe he is still in bed and everything is nothing but a nightmare.  
"Let us continue. I finally want to know what's going on here."  
Scout is only capable of a nod. He doesn't want to admit it, but now he really gets scared. The fear of death sits on his shoulders, wants to mislead him to run away. But he cannot go anywhere. Besides, he doesn't want to die as a coward. Especially not after talking big in front of Sniper.

They squeeze through the gap and a moment later stand in a bare, long corridor. The walls are colored white and blue. Long recessed lights on the ceiling reflect pale light and immerse the corridor in a cold blue. Everything looks new.  
"Maintenance is taken very seriously here" says Scout, wrapping his arms around himself as if he freezing. But it's only this light that gives him this fake feeling.  
Spy doesn't answer and keeps going. They pass doors that open automatically as they approach. But even these rooms are empty. But one of them leads into the room with the computers that you can see from the intelligence room.  
But all that leaves Spy cold. He wants to go to the place where this mechanical sound comes from. And it seems to come from the other end of the corridor.  
After fifty meters they reach the end of the corridor. A large double steel door prevents them from getting ahead. A camera over it is focused on both of them.  
The Frenchman gets a bad feeling.  
"How do we get through this?"  
"Next to the door is an input panel. We just have to press the button."  
Scout examines it. "I think we have to enter the number code first."  
"Not necessary. The password has been deactivated."  
Scout already lifts his arm to press the button that opens the door, but he pauses midway, turns to Spy, who keeps his gaze fixed on the door as if hypnotized, and looks at him suspiciously.  
"…how do you know?"  
Now Spy tears his eyes away from the door and looks at Scout with incomprehension "What?"  
"I want to know how you know that."  
"Are you telling me that you believe that I have something to do with all this?"  
"Who knows? After all, you are a spy."  
Anger and disappointment arise in Aiméric, but he swallows both. "The green light is on. This means the code has either already been entered or was deactivated. The latter, however, makes more sense."  
"Why would someone do that?"  
With a nod of his head, Spy points to the camera. "I'm ready to go so far to say it was planned that we get here."  
"How should that have been planned? The opening was hidden."  
"Mann Co. has assumed that some of us are looking into what's going on here. And they probably even assumed that I would be among them."  
"Why? Does Mann Co. belong to your fan club?"  
A smile appears in Spy's face. "Because I'm a spy" he replies. "And they were right. I found the secret entrance."  
"Pah! Don't think you're something special. But I don't get it... why are they sending us here? Why don't they just let anyone attack us?"  
"Spy shrugs. "Who knows. Maybe for tactical reasons? Together our team is strong. We broke away from the team. They have already succeeded. Now they hope that both of us will be killed here, so that the team will be further weakened. So be prepared for anything when we open this door."  
"These sickos shouldn't underestimate us!"  
"And we should not underestimate them. And the administrator is the observer."  
The red light on the camera almost looks like an approval to Spy.  
Scout wants to answer something, or at least tries. An apology, but then he decides otherwise, says nothing and instead presses the door opener.  
The two steel doors open with a buzzing sound and reveal the view of a wide steel bridge, which extends across a gigantic room and leads to another double door. From there come the loud mechanical sounds.  
Carefully, they enter the bridge. This "room" is actually a hall or hangar. The ground is twenty meters below them. As they both look down over the bridge railing, they discover something strange.  
"What the hell…? Are these robots?!"  
Headlamps from the high ceiling cast light on a series of metal figures neatly lined up in rows. There are exactly nine pieces that Scout and Spy cannot deny a certain similarity.  
"They look like us…"  
"That's an absolutely sick shit!"

"Robots... That makes sense, of course. Soulless opponents who know neither compassion nor suffering. Perfect mercenaries who would never betray Mann Co."  
"What do you mean? Are you saying that these tin cans are supposed to kill us? Humans would have sufficed. Or did Mann Co. not want to pay money?"  
"It's not about money, it's about emotions. There are unscrupulous people who have the same characteristics as a robot. But there are mercenaries who are guided by emotions and start to act humanly. Traitors in the eyes of the company." As the Frenchman speaks these words, he must remember the close friendship of their Demoman to the BLU Soldier.  
Suddenly Scout starts to laugh. "That's a joke! Ahaha! Oh man! And I thought I would have to be fear for my life."  
"Scout."  
"They're just a bunch of junk!"  
"Scout!"  
"How are they supposed to be dangerous to us? That's a joke! Maybe it's just a big parody or something like a last test or something like that and tomorrow we all go home-"  
"SCOUT!" Spy grabs his son by the shoulders and looks him straight in the eye. "I know you're scared, but you need to calm down.  
"I'm not afraid."  
"_I am_ afraid."

"No matter what your opponent may look like, you must not underestimate him. And never forget. Mann Co. does not make jokes. These robots are the spawn of this company. Therefore, run away, or fight to the last breath."  
The burning behind Jeremy's eyes returns. This time he finds it harder to swallow that feeling.  
It breaks Aiméric's heart to see his son like this. He puts a hand on his cheek and is surprised that Scout allows it. And as he thinks about hugging him, Jeremy frees himself from him and turns away.  
"What's all this crap? You should have comforted me when I was a kid. It's too late now."  
Aiméric nods slightly. "Yes… maybe…"

Without another word, the scout heads towards for the other side of the bridge. Spy follows him. As they reach the middle of the bridge, the two doors suddenly open sideward. Father and son stop abruptly. A tall, wide-built robot that looks very similar to Heavy stands in the frame. His massive metal body moves easily up and down, behind his back rise slight black wads of smoke.  
For a moment, Jeremy is frozen, but quickly he breaks loose from it, pulls his Scattergun from his pocket on his back, approaches the robot and shoots.  
"Take that, tin pot! You think I'm scared of you?" The bullets leave small dents in the metal, but they don't penetrate it. One or two ricochets wanders around.  
"Scout, stop it!"  
But the boy stubbornly ignores him. Until now, gun violence had always helped. Only when the ammo clip is empty he notices that he was hardly able to do anything. The robot stands there as if nothing had happened, barely got a scratch.  
"What the…?"  
"Come back, Scout."  
Suddenly, the robot opens its steel jaw and an ear-splitting cry echo through the hangar and then it runs towards them like a berserker.  
"Run!"  
Scout doesn't need to be told twice. With breakneck speed, he turns around and runs the way back. Spy is quickly overtakes by him. Unlike Scout, he will never make it back to the base without being caught up by the monster.  
Back in the corridor he throws himself sideways into the next room. He activates his watch and makes himself invisible. Here he is trapped, but he's lucky and the Robo-Heavy storms past the room. But he cannot do anything for his son now.  
"Run Jeremy…"

Scout turns his head back. Spy is no longer to be seen, only these robot that comes closer and closer. The ground seems to shake under its footsteps.  
Suddenly he loses his balance, flies because of his own high speed a few feet through the air, lands on the smooth ground and slides another few meters forward. With an exhausted cry, coupled with fear, he struggles to get up quickly. He almost fell again, but he finds support and with a final sprint he finally reaches the exit, squeezes himself through the gap back into the respawn room.  
Believing he is safe in here, he slows his pace, looks back. He hears it beyond the heavy supply cabinet and only a moment later the cupboard flies through the air. As if hit by a demolition ball, the wall is torn when the robot breaks through the narrow entrance with brute force and the chase continues.  
Heavily panting, Scout flees up the stairs to the courtyard. With increased speed, he doesn't get the curve and crashes down. A stabbing pain flows through his arm when he lands on the hard ground. A big shadow appears below him and when he raises his head, the robot is falling in his direction. With an avoidance manoeuvre, Scout jumps aside and continues his flight in the narrow corridor.  
His thoughts are completely confused. The quickest way back to the RED base would be over the bridge, but when he reaches the main aisle of the base, he realizes that the robot is following him from the other way, blocking his way out. So only the way down to the sewer remains. Luckily, the channels of the two bases are connected. But he has to swim a bit for that. And that could save him. Water! This will blow up the robot's circuits.  
With new hope and courage he jumps down the stairs and run into the canal.  
"Come on! Catch me!" And indeed the robot doesn't let up on him. Its so much closer now. Just under three meters separate them. It defy Jeremy that a piece of pure metal moves so fast. If he falls back again, it could be the end for him. Often he has run long distances so fast. But this is something else. He is accompanied by fear and panic, which take his breath away faster. Pull him down and let his body become plumb bob. His heart feels like it's about to explode, his lungs are burning. His vigors want to fail him, his legs feel like rubber. The idea of first dying from the Team is unacceptable and gives him strength to persevere. Would he be the first? Maybe Spy is already dead? After all, he couldn't see him anymore.  
Emotions threaten to steal his concentration. Therefore, he keeps telling himself that he cannot be dead. Impossible. A cat has nine lives, after all.

After three curves, Scout finally reaches the pelvis and jumps in it. He is almost certain that the robot has no chance here, but he swims to the other side without turning around. In the canal of his base he dares to look back. The robot is not visible. Did it even follow him into the water? Scout cannot remember hearing a loud splash or feeling torrential waves. The water is almost completely quiet. However, it is too murky to recognize something in it.  
The thing will probably have gone down. Got a short circuit and lies now on the bottom of the water basin to rust there for all eternity.  
Exhausted, Jeremy leans against the wall. Finally, the hunt has come to an end. He is soaking wet from top to bottom. The wet clothes would have made running even more difficult.  
He thinks about bringing one last quote, but even for that he is too exhausted, so now he is slowly on his way to his people. The pain in his arm comes back to his mind. He must have sprained it bacause of the fall. Or maybe it's even broken?  
"Hopefully, Doc is ready with his Medigun."  
In the elbow bend of the canal Scout hopes to find a health package there. There was always one. Almost too euphoric Scout enters the area, but he meets with disappointment. There is nothing left. Even the small ammo box is not there anymore. Scout tries to remember if these two items were in the other canal. He cannot remember, but probably they were removed as well.  
"Crap…" Without Medic, they will be screwed if they get hurt. The boy is experiences it firsthand. Now they are even more dependent on teamwork than ever before. Solo action, as the runner likes, are now taboo. It reminiscent of the horror movies Jeremy had always loved to watch. A group of people split up, giving the killer or monster the advantage of slaughtering one after the other. But this is not a movie, but the reality.  
Scout now enters the longer hallway. At the end, the stairs can be seen. He does not like to admit it, but he's looking forward to seeing the faces of the others again. If he did not know better, he would even claim that he missed them. In addition, the team means security.

Halfway there, a noise lets Scout stop. He turns around slowly. Even before he sees it, he knows it's there. The heavy robot, who almost touches the ceiling with his head, stands there at the end of the hallway and seems to stare at him.  
"It cannot be…"  
Suddenly, the lifeless eyes light up red, the steel jaw opens and the robot makes that terrible scream sound again. The starting signal for the second round.  
With fast pace, the metal pile rushes towards Scout, this time seems to have become even faster. Scout cannot suppress an outcry, every muscle in his body twitches. He almost forgot to run.  
With big steps he runs up the stairs to the RED base. With a loud burst, the robot smashes the ceiling stairs and part of the stairs. Black spots appear in front of Jeremy's eyes and his vision blurs. With horror, he must realize that he will lose consciousness at any moment. Is it exhaustion? The fear? The strong pain in his arm that his survival instinct wants him to forget? Or the mix of everything?  
He is almost at the finish!  
The first thing he sees is Engie's Level 3 Sentry, which is placed in the main aisle just a few feet from the canal entrance.  
The Sentry begins to beep loudly and immediately targets Scout. He doesn't have to turn around to know that the thing behind him is only a few centimeters away from him.  
Four rockets are fired from the sentries head and head straight for Scout. Everything happens within milliseconds. Close to fainting, the runner jumps with his last force to the side into the passage below the second respawn room, landing on his injured arm, which stuns his perception. The deadly missiles fly by. The collision between aluminum and steel is clearly audible and an explosion shakes the base. A small firestorm flails around and wraps everything in black smoke.  
Jeremy loses consciousness before the poisonous smoke penetrates his lungs.


	3. The fate of the BLU team

Carefully, Spy steps out of the room where he could flee in. The noise was not to be missed, but it scares him when he sees the big hole gaping in the wall at the end of the corridor. The robot had just broken through, as if it was nothing.  
He worries about Jeremy, but something tells him he's fine. He MUST be fine...  
The next logical step would be to return to the RED base, but the curiosity is just too big. Aiméric returns to the bridge and approaches the door, through which heavy robots have come. He hadn't been noticed before, but behind it is an another corridor. Where does this lead? It's time to finally find out what is responsible for this mechanical noise.

Until just now he was invisible, but unfortunately the effect does not last forever. The clock has to recharge first and that takes some time.  
The new corridor is not even half as long as the first, and the Frenchman quickly reaches a second hall, which is also accessible only by a bridge suspended in the air. There is no light here, outlines are difficult to recognize. This noise comes from here, right in front of him, but it's just too dark. And as before, this jetty leads to a door. Aiméric feels his way and is soon he reaches the end. This time it's a mere aluminum door. To the left of it is a large panorama window. Presumably there is a kind of control room behind it. He can certainly switch on the light there.  
It's not locked. Carefully Aiméric enters the room. Again, darkness prevails, considering for a moment to activate the light switch next to the door. He doesn't want to be surprised by such a robot. But to find out what is going on here, he has no choice.  
The ceiling lamps begin to flicker and, a moment later, they illuminate the room with ice-blue light, which blinds Spy for a brief moment. But the eyes are quickly used to it and he looks around.  
Tables embroidered with computers are lined up, below the panorama window a control panel is located. So it is a control room. Spy approaches it. It's equipped with small monitors and many different buttons. The few differently colored buttons almost scream for being pressed. If Scout were in his place, he would have pressed them without much thought. This thought makes Spy smile but it dies away with the thought of something might has happened to him.  
"Focus…"  
He discovers a button with a sun-like symbol. This will probably control the light. After a brief hesitation, he presses it and the hangar is instantly flooded with bright light. Once again blinded, Spy has to shield his eyes.  
"Oh…mon…dieu…"  
With eyes wide open, Spy stares through the glass at this huge figure. A gigantic heavy robot stands in the middle of the hangar. The head reaches over the bridge.  
"No…"  
It seems deactivated, but still those mechanical sounds come from it. From inside.  
_I have to take a closer look._

Aiméric turns to the door and has to falter. It was only for a moment, but that was enough to realize the door had moved. Frantically, the eyes search the room, but there is nothing and nobody to see. But by itself, no doors move and there is not the slightest air draft.  
Spy glances at his watch. It's still not ready. Carefully, he moves to one of the tables to take cover from it, holding the Ambassador at the ready. He keeps his breath flat to not betray himself and his location. Not very useful with the noise of the giant robot.  
Force of habit.  
Carefully, he looks around the table, but as expected he cannot discover anyone. And yet he knows instinctively that he is not alone.  
Now he slowly moves towards the door. Nobody is on the bridge. Aiméric enters it, heading for the opposite side without losing sight of the control room. Even when he reaches the first bridge, nobody follows him. Maybe he had just imagined it?  
_Did I possibly get out of practice after these five safe years, as far as real danger is concerned? Or because Jeremy is now in mortal danger?_  
Aiméric mastered his job masterfully in the past and now he has such problems with it? This can only be the emotions. No wonder if your own child is involved.  
Coincidentally, Spy's gaze falls over the railing. To his horror, he realizes that the remaining robots have disappeared.  
"Merde…" Frantically he looks around, but they are nowhere to be seen. Were they taken away or did they moved up themselves to hunt them down, just like the Heavy robot did?  
_"Honhonhon!"_

A mechanical laugh directs Spy's attention in the direction from which he came. No one is visible, but suddenly there is another sound. One which Spy is all too familiar with. The sound of an invisibility watch when it's deactivated or when its power is exhausted. And indeed, a figure appears out of nowhere.  
The blood freezes in Aimeric's veins. A spy robot faces him. That they look like them is one thing, but they even seem to have the same skills.  
He doesn't move, apparently waiting for a reaction from Aiméric. Carefully, he looks at his watch. It is ready for action again. Without taking his eyes off the robot, he activates it and becomes invisible.  
_That will give me a big advantage._  
But to Spy's surprise, the robot also melts into thin air.  
Spy is unsure. He has a very bad feeling about it.  
Aback, he approaches the door and only then does he turn around to leave the factory and to return to the team. He walks along the corridor with quick steps. Every now and then he looks back. There is neither something to hear nor to see. He will finally make it out of here!  
A punch hits him in the face. At least that's how it felt. With a violent force Spy crashes to the ground. His Ambassador falls out of his suit and slithers a few feet across the floor, away from him. But he only perceives it marginally. With shocked eyes he stares into nothingness. It can not be that the robot caught up with him! And certainly not that he sees him, despite invisibility! Unless...  
_"Honhonhon!"_

"Did you really think it would be so easy for you, my dear Spy?"  
With her legs crossed, Helen sits in her swivel chair, her right arm resting on the armrest and holding a cigarette in her left hand. In front of her the arsenal of monitors. The spy is lying on the floor on one of the screens. The robots are connected to their system and allow the administrator to see through their eyes. And they all have an infrared radiator, which allows them to avoid obstacles even in deep darkness. But not only that - they don't even miss an invisible Spy.  
An increased difficulty in the game of survival. Helen is fascinated by how the boys fight, although knowing that either way they will never leave this place alive. But she hadn't expected anything else from them either. After all, they are her men.  
She notices the young Miss Pauling behind her as she rushes past the admin room.  
"Miss Pauling!"  
A whole heap of paper falls to the ground. Her now unsure steps return.  
"Yes, Miss Helen?"  
"Sit down and watch with me."  
"But... I still have a lot of paperwo-"  
"Let the work be and sit down." Without turning to the young woman, Helen points with one arm to the chair in the corner of the room.  
After a moment's hesitation, Miss Pauling finally enters the admin room, picks up the chair, puts it in front of the screen with some distance from Helen and sits down. Her legs pressed together, her hands folded on her lap and she looks down. She does not dare to look at one of the screens.  
"Watch" orders the smoky voice.  
"I can't…"  
"Disobedience is out of character for you."

"You have to. Because in the end you have to take care of the elimination of the bodies. That would not be the first time. What is so different about this team?"  
Miss Pauling stays silent.  
"One day you will take my place. You must learn to close your feelings. In all these many years I've seen many good men die by the hand of Mann Co. When their contract runs out, they have to disappear."  
"I um ... don't want to be cheeky, but ... you also seem to be quite emotional with this team. Other teams were eliminated on the spot, but this one not."  
Helen takes a deep pull from her cigarette. Miss Pauling makes herself very small in her chair. Was she gone too far?  
"This team has the privilege of being the first team to fight the robot mercenaries. I am very pleased to see how well the new generation works."  
"What do you mean by that? Should only robots serve Mann Co. in the future?"  
There is a silence between Pauling and Helen, which makes the air in the room unbearably oppressive. Miss Pauling's heart is pounding like mad.  
"That's exactly what it means" the administrator finally replies and then says nothing more.  
If that's true, and Miss Pauling has no doubts, she and Helen will not be needed any more, too...  
With a worried look she looks up at the monitor Spy is on. In her thoughts she keeps his fingers crossed for him and at the same time she wonders why she does it. Is she hoping that they will survive? Or that they die quickly and painlessly? The latter would be more meaningful given the fact that they are not getting away from this place anyway. Only dead. She wishes they would not fight back. With that in mind, her eyes wander a few monitors further, showing the spawn room on the RED base. There, lying on the floor, the unconscious scout is lying on blankets. Medic is with him and takes care of him.  
This sight is hard to bear for Miss Pauling. She remembers how Scout, Jeremy, often winked at her or asked her for a date. She was always at a distance after that. If a future administrator gets involved with a mercenary, is this more than unprofessional. Otherwise, that would never have had a future anyway, because Miss Pauling knew from the beginning what happens to the mercenaries when their contract expires. She had always known. That's why she always found it so difficult to meet their eyes when she had to ride her scooter to work. And Scout had not made it easier. Often she wanted to cry but could not. And she can not do that now. Maybe she has already closed her feelings so far away that tears are no longer possible. After all, she knew what to expect when she joined Mann Co. five years ago. Her eyes behind the glasses scurry over to Helen. Miss Pauling is almost certain that when the team is completely wiped out, she will feel no more feelings - just like Helen.  
And that will be in dire need of if Mann Co. decides someday when their contracts will expire.  
Her eyes move back to Spy, but he is no longer visible. On one of the screens you can see through the eyes of the robot spy. A red-shimmering silhouette moves away from the robot. Spy is bleeding. Miss Pauling's heart races as if she were running for her own life.  
_I'm so sorry…_

Engineer, Heavy, Demoman and Soldier stand around the destroyed Heavy robot after making sure it does not move anymore. The concentrated power of the Sentry rockets had punched a deep hole in the metal body and uncovered the innards. Every now and then a cable lights up when the last electric shock passes through it.  
After the first shock, they now discuss what they should do.  
"A robot ... I did not expect that. Mann Co. is full of surprises today." Demo evenly says these words as he looks with his eye at it from top to bottom.  
"Why does it look like Heavy?"  
"You think it looks like you?" Soldier leans his head to look at the robot from all angles. "I don't see any similarities."  
"Da! It looks like Heavy! And that scares me. What does Engineer think?"  
The Texan is so focused on the metal monster that he almost didn't caught Heavy's question. "I cannot deny a certain similarity. But now it's just a big supply of metal. Heavy, do you think you could carry the robot up to my workshop?"  
The Russian looks skeptically down at the robot.  
"Don't worry. He will not move anymore. My Sentry did a great job."  
Heavy nods, grabs the thick, cold arms of the heavy robot and loads the heavy torso with a jerk on the back. The short legs drag over the ground.  
Without further ado, Soldier lifts them up. Heavy turns his head to him in surprise.  
"What? Do I have something on my face?"  
With a smile, Heavy continues his way. Demoman looks after them until they disappear around the corner.

"We can only hope that was the only robot. At least of this kind."  
The Scot looks at the ruined entrance to the sewer system. Engineer does not answer. He is still in a squatting position, seemingly staring into nothingness.  
"Hey, lad. What's wrong?"  
Dell sighs. "Nothing. It's just..." Now he gets up and leans against the wall behind him. "I just had to think about my father."  
"Hm?" Tavish joins him.  
"One thing has become clear to me about my father. And one thing that doesn't become accessible for me."  
"If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears."  
Engineer pauses before he starts to speak. "I told you that my father worked for Mann Co. when I was a kid."  
"Yeah, I remember..." Demo makes a startled face. "Oh yeah I remember! But that would mean…"  
"Yes. Mann Co. also wanted to kill him after his contract expired. That's why he was so changed."  
"But he had managed to escape Mann Co."  
"You think so?"  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"No one escapes Mann Co. If he had really managed to escape, the company would have found him anyway. But they have let him become old..."  
"What are you thinking about?"  
"… maybe he had negotiated a new contract."  
"…"Tavish can imagine what Dell might mean, but he doesn't dare to say it.  
When I told him that Mann Co. wants to hire me as a technician, he said nothing. He did not even look at me. At the time I thought he did not care. And even that surprised me. But now I know why he had reacted that way. He did not stop me, knowing, what was going to happen to me.  
Now demo speaks it out. "You think he sold you? Your life for his life?"  
"I don't know what to believe. It would be possible. But at the same time I cannot imagine that Mann Co. would engage in such a thing. And besides... my dad loved me. I remember him often bringing me to his workshop and making machines with me. He had taught me everything. Because of him, I am what I am today. It doesn't make any sense..."  
"Hey, lad. No matter how he escaped Mann Co. he loves you. And that he let you go may have a good reason. Maybe uh... Well, maybe your family has a special contract with Mann Co."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Did your grandfather work for Mann Co. too?"  
"My dad never said much about him. But he actually worked as a mercenary too. But if that was with Mann Co. I don't know."  
"Let's just assume that's how it was. Then your family has been working for the company for generations."  
"Are you saying that I am an exception? That I can just go?"  
"Why not? That could be possible. Anyway, that's a better thought than a father selling his only child to save his own life."  
"Wouldn't the administrator have mentioned that?"  
"Maybe she didn't do that, so you will not attract the wrath of the others. She has to ensure your safety."  
"…and you? What do you think about it, should you be right? Do you hate me?"  
Tavish is silent for a moment. "No, I don't hate you. Sure, it's not fair, but it's not your fault."  
"Thank you. But you don't have to worry. I will stay with you until the end. Even if I have to go west. I couldn't live with the knowledge that I am allowed to live and you not. No, not with me."  
"Are you sure? You could continue your life. Without fears."  
Engineer smiles. "Let's just leave the speculation. Whether it's true or not, I'll die with you. Everything else would be cowardly and dishonorable."  
Friendly the Scot lays an arm around the shoulder of the little Texan with a big grin on his face.  
"Let us die in party hard style!"  
Dell doesn't show it, but if he is honest, the thought of the potentially privilege for his family don't let him go. Presumably, that will be the last thing he will think about when he leaves this world.

"Let's go back to the others. I would like to take a closer look at this robot."  
"Of course. And I'll drop in at Scout and the Doc."  
As the two pass Engies Sentry, Dell strokes her arm, whereupon she gives a single, almost loving beep. "Good girl" he whispers.  
"You probably don't regret having started a family, am I right? Your sentries are your children."  
"From the moment I built my very first functional Sentry. I was 16."  
"A very young dad" laughs Tavish, but Dell notices the sad undertone. Encouragingly, he lays a hand on the Scotsman's shoulder.

Heavy and Soldier are just leaving the workshop when Demo and Engie reach the entrance of the spawn. The big table was pushed against the wall, now blocking the passage down to the Intel room and the small room with the floor hatch. The latter should serve as an escape route in this situation. The Texan hopes that it does not have to get that far.  
"Where are the chairs?"  
"We threw them out" answers Soldier. "Except for one. The Aussie wanted a seat. Such a sissy."  
"I've heard that, mate!"  
"I hope so!"

The gate to the respawn room opens and Medic stands in the frame. "May I have ask for silence" he warns with a stern look.  
"How's the boy?" Tavish asks. They see Scout lying on the floor in the background.  
"As you can see, he still has not woken up, but the Medigun was able to heal his open wounds and broken arm."  
The mercenaries gather around the scout.  
"When, do you think, will he wake up, Doktor?"  
"I don't know, Heavy. It depends of the person. A syncope like this one could last a few hours."  
"It takes way too long! Can't you wake him up somehow?"  
"There is a possibility indeed. I could inject him adrenaline."  
"Why don't you do it then, Kraut?"  
"Because all my equipment has disappeared. The supply cabinet is empty."  
"What?! Emptiness comes up to meet him. "Dear god…"  
"Those bastards!" The angry outcry from Demoman spurs Soldier on to angrily slams the closet doors shut so hard that it bangs loudly and the vibrations overflows into the walls and floor. Suddenly Jeremy opens his eyes.  
"My, my…" Medic says to himself.  
When Soldier notices that Scout has woken up, he immediately claims this success for himself. "Aha! You see? I don't need a medical license to heal! Just defibriplate and the patient is like new!"  
Medic straightens his glasses. "The correct term is _defibrillate_, my dear Jane. And it's a method of eliminating ventricular fibrillation."  
"Which one of us has the medical license here?"  
"Neither of us" Medic answers dryly.  
"Oh, right…"  
"Dummkopf."

"What happened...?" Jeremy sits up. The blanket covering him slips down exposing his pale white chest. "What the…? AH! What the hell? Why am I naked? And why are you standing all around me? Are you perverted?"  
"Your clothes were soaked."  
"Didn't you say you healed him with your Medigun?" asks Soldier.  
"I did. It heals, closes wounds and fixes fractures. That's all. It doesn't have the function of a hair dryer. Would I have bothered to undress him otherwise?"  
"But Medigun is like a sewing machine."  
"What do you mean, Heavy?"  
"When Doctor upgraded Heavy's heart with Über and closed my body with the Medigun, Heavy's clothes were like new."  
"…"

"Oh man, I remember..." Scout's body stiffens. "I remember! What about the robot?"  
"Don't worry, son. He will not move anymore."  
"How?"  
"My Sentry finished it."  
"Oh yeah... The missiles nearly tore me up!"  
"I'm sorry, but who could have guessed-"  
"It does not matter anyway!" Scout jumps up. His nakedness completely forgotten. He points to Heavy with his finger. "You come with me!" And with these words Jeremy runs out of the room. Confused, Heavy looks at Medic and the others questioningly.  
"I'm coming with you."  
"Aye! Me too!"  
"I'm in my workshop." Engineer leaves the respawn. Soldier is about to get rid of his clothes.  
"You stay dressed!" warns the German, while he takes the previously selected spare clothes for Scout.  
With a disappointed sound, Soldier follows Medic, Heavy and Demoman to outside.  
"Where is the brat got to?"  
"Over here! Hurry up!" They see Scout's pale form just walking down the stairs at the second entrance to the Intelligence Room.  
They follow him down there and discover him in the third respawn room.  
"Come on, Heavy! Move the cupboard!" he orders excitedly.  
Confused, the Russian looks at him. "Is Scout feeling fine?"  
"I'm at my best. Physically as well as mentally. Thanks for asking. Now do it!"  
"Scout, what does this portend?"  
Scout makes an annoyed sigh. "Spy and I found a secret entrance to the factory in the BLU base in this room, behind this closet."  
"And now you suspect that there is also a secret passage here?"  
"Why not? After all, even a building adjoins this base. And so far I have seen no entrance to this from the outside. Speaking of Spy... Did he followed?"  
"No. He has not come back yet."  
"I see…"  
"Here" Medic hands him the clothes. "I'm sure he's fine. He is not a reckless fool."  
"Pfft! You really think I'm worried about him?"  
"But something must be held him up…"  
"This heavy robot was not the only one."  
"There are more?"  
"Yeah... and my scattergun couldn't do anything." Scout slips into his pants and shirt.  
"It is baby weapon."  
"Hey!"  
"But rockets can do something, which is why I am in demand." Soldier shoulders his rocket launcher.  
"And Sasha helps!"  
"Okay, Heavy. Please move the cupboard."  
"Da Doktor."  
Scout and Demoman move the benches on the left and right side to make space for heavy. The Russian packs the corners of the metal cabinet and moves it almost effortlessly aside.  
"Woah hey. You fell into the Magic Potion when you were a little kid, eh? Spy and I almost broke our spine when we moved it."  
"I turn apostate. There is a passage!" Demoman rubs his eye patch.  
"That's what I said! We should be careful. Maybe there are robots here, too, who will be after us."  
"Not all of us should go. In addition, Engineer and Sniper must be informed. I will do that."  
"I going with Doktor."  
"And you, Scout?"  
"I'm definitely going in there."  
"Be careful."  
"You too."  
Heavy and Medic climb up the stairs and Scout, Soldier and Demoman enter the new, unfamiliar area.

"It's pitch dark in here. How did you find your way over there?"  
"The lights were on. Probably because the factory was active."  
"This place doesn't seem to be active. Maybe we are lucky and there are no robots in here?"  
"We will see. I go and get some flashlights."  
Scout races off and Soldier and Demoman stay behind. The Scot directs his gaze to the wooden floor and follows it with his eyes, until it loses itself in the darkness.  
"…creepy, isn't it?"  
"Sissie."  
"Hmpf!"  
"If rockets are the only thing that helps against these cans, you don't have to worry."  
"Well, I think that my bombs will also be very effective. It's just... The whole situation here feels so unreal. As if I were tipsy."

"Oh come on! Our contract expires and Mann Co. suddenly wants to kill us. Then these robots and now this secret entrance. Does this feel real to you?"  
"I don't act according to my feelings, but according to my instinct. And my instinct tells me to stay alive as long as possible to send as many opponents to hell as possible. That's what I live for, no matter whether it feels real or not."  
"I wish I had your weirdly optimism... I guess."

"I'm back!" Scout returns with two big, yellow searchlights.  
"Where did you get these?"  
"From Engie from his workshop. He doesn't need them, but he also said that we must not lose them because they are the only portable sources of light he has." One of them he hands over Demo.  
"Okay. Then you both shine. Should it come to a confrontation, I can shoot immediately."  
"I hope it doesn't come that far. The whole building here is made of wood."  
"Our base, too. And? It never has caught fire."  
"Of course not, Einstein. The wood is our base is coated with a special varnish. Nothing can catch fire. But this..." Demoman lights up the wooden wall and strokes it with one hand. "... is not coated. This is pure dry wood."  
"What's your problem, Scottie?"  
"Neither I want to burn to death, nor to go down in an explosion."  
"As if that were the first time…"  
"Hmpf! But if I have to die, then by my own bombs."  
"But then you would be killed by an explosion" Soldier speculates.  
"That is something different!"  
Scout sighs. "Suicide?"  
"When the need arises. But only if I take as many robots as possible with me."  
"That's right, soldier!" Jane puts an arm around Tavish. "That's the spirit!"  
The Scot grins, but guilty feelings suddenly overcome him. When Soldier claps him on the back, memories of BLU Soldier come up in him. He was a good friend, his best friend, and he could do nothing to save him from Mann Co. He had not even known he had been killed. For a whole year... a year he had not contacted him. He MUST be dead. If only he could have said goodbye. But even that he was prohibited from doing so.  
The sadness is replaced by anger. Great anger. On Mann Co. and himself.  
Harsh frees himself from Soldier and turns to Scout.  
"Hey, boy… The BLU team is dead, isn't it?"  
"Spy suspected that. And I believe it too."  
Tavish is only able to nod and continues into the alien area. Soldier and Scout exchange glances before following him.

Engineer leaves the respawn room, goes to the two barn doors opposite the table and opens it wide. The robot is located in the middle of the 15 square meter room. It fills most of the space, which is why Dell has limited space in his workshop.  
He is surprised when he sees Pyro sitting next to the robot. He strokes it over the metal belly and finally lies down on it to hug it.  
"Ah! Buddy!" Slightly too fast, he moves towards Pyro and nearly stumbles over the robot's legs. He takes Pyro by the shoulders and pulls him back. "Be careful. This is not a toy."  
Pyro lays his head on the side.  
"You can stay here, but do not touch it." In Engie, the question arises why he is so overprotective. The robot is done and no electricity flows through it. And even if. Pyros suit is made of rubber. But it's not just Pyro he cares about. He is also worried about everyone else. More than before. Certainly this is due to Demoman's assumption that Dell's family is exempted from the killing clause by a special contract with Mann Co.  
It's just not fair and he would be scarred for life. When his father returned, he had changed. The reason for this must have been that his team, with whom he had worked for years, was wiped out while he was allowed to go home, to his family. Maybe he had watched them die. That had broken him, taken his honor. He had behaved the same way until the day Dell told him he was going to Mann Co.  
_Why didn't you say something? Did you think I would get over this more easily? I will not make the same mistake as you. I will stay with them. Fight with them and die with them. I just wished..._  
"Hey, Hardhelm!" Scout's voice rouses Engineer out of his thoughts. "Haha! No need to flinch like that!"  
Dell clears his throat and straightens his inverted yellow safety helmet. "What can I do for you?"  
"Do you have something like flashlights? Behind the closet it's pitch-dark."  
"There is really a path?"  
"Yeah. Just like over there. Can you imagine that? We fought and lived here and noticed nothing of it. I wonder if such secrets were hidden in the other bases, too."  
"I don't want to think about that. There could be more robots."  
"Well, I guess it makes no sense to think about it. We have problems here."  
"You're right…"  
"And? Do you have flashlights?"  
"Oh! Right…" Engie moves cautiously past the robot over to his desk. Below there are his two searchlights. He returns to the boy, who skeptical eyes the motionless robot.  
"Here."  
"These are flashlights?"  
"That's all I have."  
"All right. Thanks." Scout reaches for the light sources, but Engineer doesn't hands over them yet. Scout looks at him in surprise.  
"Be careful."  
"Yeah, sure. We had no other plans. What's wrong with you? Do you transform into an overprotective uncle?"  
"You almost got killed and Spy...may already be dead."  
"Pfft! That would be nice. But he's not dead. I will have him on my hands until my last breath."  
That makes Engineer smile, but only for a moment. Scout is really trying everything to hide his true feelings.  
"It'll be OK." Now Dell releases the searchlights and Scout disappears with them down into the Intelligence room.

Heavy and Medic coming around the corner.  
"Are you okay, Engineer?" Medic asks.  
"I'm fine, thanks."  
"Do Engineer need help?" Heavy points at the robot.  
"Don't worry, I'm going to make it."  
"What are you planning to do with it?"  
"I will look at its inside. I have never seen such a robot like that before. I would like to know how it is structured."  
"What is the good of this?"  
"Well, I do that out of pure curiosity. And, if I study it and figure out how it works, I could manipulate it by converting it and to getting it to fight by our side."  
"Could this really work? That would be great!"  
"Yes. But I cannot promise anything. Mann Co.'s technicians are sure far better than me."  
"If so, you wouldn't be here."

"Well, Heavy and I go to Sniper to see everything is all right."  
"Okay."  
The two leave him alone. Only Pyro stays and keeps him company.  
"Well then ... let's take a closer look, eh?"  
"Hudda!"

Heavy and Medic enter the porch. There they see Sniper sitting in the chair. His weapon is in his lap, the hat pulled deep in the face. At first glance, it doesn't seem like he is sleeping.  
"Mundy…" Medic puts a hand on his shoulder and he jumps.  
"Oh man…"  
"Come in."  
"But I have to keep watch..."  
"In this darkness, the BLU base is barely visible. You will not be able to recognize Spy. Or an enemy. That does not make sense."  
"How's Scout doing?"  
"He's on his feet again. Cheerful as ever."  
Sniper smiles. "Then Spook is okay too."  
"For sure. He is a pro when it comes to not being discovered."  
"Da! Schpy is fine. Heavy is sure."  
"Well, if you both say that, then I don't have to worry."  
"Come in, it's already getting cold out here."  
"But if more of these things come?"  
"I hardly believe that they are able to get up here on the porch. If they want to reach us, they must first pass Engineer's Sentry. And we saw what she did to the Heavy robot."  
"Yeah…" When Sniper straightens, he notices his tiredness. "Phew! Without this trouble we're in now, I would be glad that our work is over, because I just realize that I am already quite old."  
"We feel the same. Isn't it, Heavy?"  
"Heavy is too old and too gigantic for further years of fighting."  
Mundy nods. He stretches and glances into the black nothingness on the other side. This place suddenly scares him.  
"I think it's time to take a look at this robot."  
"Engineer is busy with it right now."

"H-hey, boys!" Engie shouts suddenly. His voice sounds shocked. "You have to look at this!"  
The three are on their way. Engineer stands in front of his workshop, his eyes focused on the small room. Pyro is standing next to him. He keeps looking from Engineer to the workshop and back, as if asking for something, but Dell doesn't even seem to notice. He's paralysed by fear.  
Medic notices blood on him.  
"Did you hurt yourself? I'll get the Medigun-"  
"It's not my blood…"  
The doctor pauses. "But?"  
Engie answers hesitantly. "From the robot."  
"A bleeding robot? Interesting." Medic immediately enters the workshop to look at this phenomenon. Heavy and Sniper follow.  
"Impossible ... Machines cannot bleed."  
The blood is in the immediate vicinity of the abdomen, on the cables and wires. Medic squats down and puts one hand in the stomach. He feels back in time as he rummaged in Heavey's innards. Back then when it all started.  
Carefully, he gropes around. What he expects there, he does not know. But then, when his arm is almost in the robot until the elbow, he feels soft tissue.  
"Engineer, do you have something to light up?"  
"No, I'm sorry. Scout has my only two portable lights."  
"No problem, I think I even have my ballpoint-lighter with me." With his free hand Medic searches for the flashlight in the small pocket on his waistband. "Ah ja." He pulls out a thin, red pencil, turns it on and gives it to Heavy. "Please give light, will you?"  
"Of course, Doktor. But it is so tiny."  
"That must be enough."  
Now Medic uses both hands, pushes the cables and individual metal plates aside and then he can see it. A pale red, hollowed out abdomen of a human.  
Mundy slaps a hand over his mouth. He fights against the stomach acid, which makes its way up.  
"What is that?" he chokes.  
"A human" Ludwig answers almost monotonously. "But the more interesting question is who it is."  
Medic turns his head to Engineer. His expression betrays the fact that he knows what Medic will demand from him right away, and that he doesn't want to comply with this favor.  
"You have to open the robot completely. I have a suspicion and I need to know if I'm right."  
Dell hesitates. "I don't know if we should do that."  
"We have to. We standing with our backs to the wall. Everybody knows that. But we have to get to the bottom of this. We owe that to the BLU team."  
"Why does Doktor mentions the BLU team?"  
"I'll explain that to you as soon as Engineer opens the robot."  
Now Heavy and Sniper also turn their eyes to the technician and he has no other choice.  
"Alright then. Just give me a moment." The three leave the workshop to let Engie work, but they look over his shoulder. With the help of his metal cutter he opens the remaining metal body. The two halves fall with a loud cling to the side and bare all the horror.  
Mundy cannot struggles against his stomach inside anymore and pours it out in a fountain through the air and lands with a heavy splash on the floor. Timely, he could turn away not to puke on the others. Exhausted, he supports himself on the wall with one hand. Pyro taps him encouragingly on the shoulder.  
"Interesting indeed…" Medic straightens his glasses as he looks at the hollowed-out human body. Where once the innards were, now hang strands of cables. Some of them entangled into the flesh and blood sticks on them. "Hmm ... the body does not seem to be dead too long. And the head is severed."  
"Who was he?" Heavy asks with this disgusted and worried look.  
"Judging by the size and width ... BLU Heavy. But we will not know that for sure until we look at the head. Engineer…"  
Dell is only able to nod and his metal cutter is used once more. The fearsome head is cut open in a few seconds and the familiar face of their former enemy looks towards them. If you ignoring the fact that his eyes are missing.  
Now even Heavy can't bear the sight. Through the eye sockets run more cables. The skullcap was removed and the brain is provided with cables and wires.  
Engineer steps back. Suddenly, Pyro runs towards the robot, but Engie can stop him.  
"Hey buddy, what are you doing? That's disgusting!"  
"Hudda…?"

"So that's the fate of the BLU team?" Mundy's stomach had calmed down, but he did not dare to look again.  
"What does this all mean?" Dell's voice cracks. He just cannot believe it.  
"Speculation is everything we can do. But I have a theory. The fact that the body does not seem dead long suggests that this Heavy was either killed slowly or was conserved to be put into this robot."  
"But why?"  
"Maybe that's kind of an experiment. The brain is stimulated thanks to these wires and all these cables are like a kind of sinews that makes the individual body parts movable. Mann Co. wanted to find out if man and machine can be connected. And for that, the brain has to be fresh. But even this organ will eventually rot and then these robots are no longer operational."  
"Why the whole thing then?"  
"They want to find out how long the brain can be kept active. I even suspect that this one is just a prototype."  
"Didn' Scout say that robots of others exist? Does that mean they've put each one in such a thing? Hollowed, machined? To fight against us? That doesn't make sense!"  
"We are just test objects."  
Engineer vigorously shakes his head. "I changed my opinion. I will not repurpose this ... thing. That's just not right."  
"We could use it. This is not a question of morality."  
"Doc, you have no respect for life, but me! Therefore, I will pull the plug so that this poor soul can finally find peace!"  
"But we do not know if they feel anything at all. Doktor?"  
"I … cannot rule it out."  
"So it _is_ a question of morality. If you would excuse me now, I will put him out of his misery."  
Heavy and Medic leave the workshop. Engineer enters and closes the two double doors.  
"... does Mann Co. want to turn us into robots, too?"  
"No. We should just be wiped out. Who knows if they will continue this experiment at all. Organic life is not adapted for exist forever."


	4. The last Conagher

"Oh my God. Look at these giant circular saws. What is this?"  
It was only a few steps before Scout, Soldier and Demoman reached the first room. What they find there are various treadmills, at the end of which is a large saw. Behind, partially recessed in the wall, trough-like vessels. In the middle of the wide room is a big machine. At its opening is a treadmill, which leads inside the machine. You do not have to be a genius to know that there are even more saws in there.  
"If I didn't know better, I would say that this is a kind of sawmill."  
Scout looks skeptically at Demo. "A sawmill? Wouldn't wood have to be here then? Or sawdust?"  
"Look around, boy. There is wood everywhere."  
Confused about Soldier's words, Scout looks back and forth, and then it hits him. "You mean ... our base? This sawmill?"  
"It's made of wood, isn't it? I can well imagine that, should the base be destroyed, it will be rebuilt from here."  
"From inside? Not quite common, isn't it?"  
"With Mann Co. it is."  
"Yeah, okay. But eventually the wood will be used up. Then there must be supplies."  
"There's an opening here on the wall." Tavish lights up the place on the near wall. There is a square opening at eye level with a size of about 50 centimeters. "This opening certainly leads outside. From the outside trees will be pushed in here and then processed."  
Scout glows into the opening, has to stand on tiptoe. "I feel a slight breeze, but I cannot see anything. Must be a long way out. I could possibly fit in there. But that would not make sense. Without me you are just screwed."  
"Screwed up without you? Boy, I already fought in wars, you still sucked the breast of your mother!"  
"I think you should try it anyway. Maybe you can find a way out there to get us all out of here."  
"Hmm…"  
"You are the only one of us who fits. After all, you are small and slender."  
"You mean slim and sporty."  
"Yes, small and slender."  
"…"

"In you go!" Suddenly Soldier grabs the boy and pushes him headfirst into the opening.  
"HEY! Everything is made of wood here!"  
"You think?"  
"If I get a splitter in a finger, you will be sorry!"  
"Talk less, crawl more!"  
Scout, babbling in his invisible beard, moves forward. His arms pressed against his body, he crawls along the shaft. He holds the searchlight with one hand, illuminates the uncertain path, but soon he reaches a dead-end.  
"What the ...?" A wooden board barred his way. He pushes against it with one hand, but it does not give in. Not even when he boosted the pressure. Through the narrow cracks of the board the cool wind of the outside world blows in.  
"Fuck."  
Demoman lights up to him. The boy has come three meters, but he doesn't move on.  
"What's up, boy? Stranded?" Tavish cannot help but to grin.  
"Yeah, yeah. Very funny. I cannot get any further! Here's a wall."  
"Then come back. I will blow it away with a rocket."  
The Scot looks at the American admonishingly. "And lay everything in ashes?"  
"Such was not my intention, but where you mention it now ... That would be the faster alternative."  
"You're a blockhead."  
"Why ...?" Jane sounds a little sulky.  
"In front of us a wall of fire and behind us the robots. And a building like this could burn forever. Until then, these things will have taken apart us."  
"Hmmh…"

Suddenly the room is flooded with bright light. Demoman has to shield his eye. The machinery starts to work, the circular saws turn, filling the air with screeching voices.  
"What the hell…?"  
Scout has already made back halfway. In the small opening he cannot turn, so when he tries to turn his head to see what's going on behind him, his skullcap bumps against the rough hardwood. "Damn ... Hey! What is going on there?" His voice is swallowed by the noise, so the two do not respond to him. He crawls on until something suddenly moves in front of him. Jeremy froze in his movement. He shines in the direction and discovers a circular saw, which descends from the low ceiling. Automatically he looks up and discovers an elongated indentation.  
"Shit…"  
The saw now starts to rotate and moves toward him.  
"Fuckfuckfuck!" As fast as possible Scout crawls the rest of the way back, but the circular saw is too fast. Panic obscures his senses. Without his intervention, his mouth opens and he screams at the top of his voice, in a voice he doesn't recognize.  
"**DRAG ME OUT! DRAG ME OUT OF HERE!**"  
His legs are already halfway out and struggle helplessly in the air. His power has suddenly disappeared and he just cannot continue. The saw is already so close that he feels the breeze on his face.  
Strong arms finally grab his legs and with a back he is pulled out of the shaft. Jeremy loses his balance and hits the ground with his face. His escape from the death trap is accompanied by hot bites as splinters painfully bore into his chin and cheek while he is pulled out with a powerful jerk. The circular saw follows him outside. Soldier and Demoman hurry back a few steps, Scout is pulled over the wooden floor and get another splinter just above his right eye.  
But the arm to which the saw is attached cannot leave the shaft and, like a watchdog, the deadly-rotating saw blocks the opening now.

Scout straightens up, groaning. He touches his head. When Soldier pulled him out, he could not lean on his arms in time and was banged on the ground. His head hurts.  
"Fuck…"  
"**Scout, you okay, boy? Let's see.**" Tavish examines Scout's face. "**Oh my ... that does not look good.**"  
"**Am I bleeding?**"  
"**A little. Wait, I'll pull out the splinters.**" The Scot is already raising his arm, but Jeremy turns away. "**Hey! Be careful!**"  
"**I won't hurt you.**"  
Only reluctantly does the scout allow Demoman to take care of his face.  
"**Owowowowow!**"  
"**Hold still!**"  
"**Aren't finished yet?**"  
"**I haven't really started yet! Now shut up!**"  
Demo pulls out five splinters. "**So. Two are still inside. But they are so deep in your skin that I cannot grasp them with my fingers.**"  
"**Then just leave them in there. After a while they will break loose themselves.**"  
"**Okay, lad. You can do that, but let me tell you that will be extremely painful.**"  
**"...really?**"  
"**Come here, sissy!**" Annoyed, Soldier grabs the boy by the shoulders, whirls him around and uses his teeth to remove the remaining splinters.  
"**W-what are you doing?**" Jeremy tries to free himself from Soldier's grip, but he holds him tightly in his. "**Hold still!**" Embarrassed and stiff as a board, he does not move anymore and lets Jane do. In fact, he can remove the deep-seated foreign body with his teeth. A hiss escapes Scout's throat. It's quite painful. He feels a drop of blood trickling down his face.  
"**Thanks…**" Scout moves away from Soldier. "**Does anyone have a plaster?**"  
"**I could lick it. But then you are mine!**"  
"**NO!**"  
"**Then use this.**" Soldier takes a white checked cotton handkerchief out of his trouser pocket.  
Scout takes it hesitantly and presses it on the small wound over the eye. "Thanks ... Why does it take so long?"  
"**What?**"  
"**Why does it take so long?**"  
"**Hey, lads! Let's turn off the machines! I cannot stand the noise any longer! Besides, I'm getting hoarse!**"  
The three split up and deactivate one machine after another. Silence spreads again. Almost perfect silence. The saw, which sticks out of the opening of the shaft, turns tirelessly further on.  
"Ah! A blessing to the ears." Tavish breathes in relief.  
"How to turn this thing off?"  
"Not important. We can leave it that way."  
"What does that mean, not so important? That thing almost divided me into two! Crap. I left the flashlight in there."  
"We don't need it anymore. We got enough light now."  
"How could this happen? That will not have activated by itself."  
"I would rather ask myself why the power is turned on while I'm in there."  
"Well, Mann Co. wants to see us dead. There is no need for questions."  
"So that was planned?"  
"Why not? I wouldn't put it past them."  
"They ... don't kill us chronology, do they?"  
"Ahaha! You mean, because you were almost crushed by this robot and now almost sawed through by this saw?"  
"That's not funny!"  
"Don't worry, lad. These were just coincidences. That could have happened to any of us."  
"Or not" adds Soldier.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jeremy's eyes narrow. It's almost as if he knows what he means.  
"Because you always want to be at the forefront. And it was you who absolutely wanted to go to the BLU base."  
""You agreed with that! Demo you! You said that I should go! And it was you who said that I should force myself through this shaft. And you! You pushed me in there!"  
"As if you did not want that. The only thing we can reproach ourselves with is that we gave in to you."  
"Pfft!"  
"Hmm ... there are catwalks up there. Let's search for a staircase or ladder."  
Soldier and Demoman go on, in the back of the room.  
"Hey! That's it then, or what?"  
"Be glad that we ceded you the last word."  
_"Pfft!_ is not a word!"  
"Did you hear something, lad?"  
"Negative."  
"Pff ... you're just jealous ..." Scout tags along after them.

"Oh God ... how many more stairs? I hate climbing stairs! Above all, I hate spiral staircases. They are really dangerous! Once you stumble and fall, you can not hold on to anything! Scout! Stop jump about and light us!"  
"Don't worry, Scotty. If you fall, I catch you."  
"Great…"  
Light-footed, Jeremy skims over the wooden steps, but waits on every platform for the bomb - and missile specialist, lights up the way so they don't stumble. "What are you complaining about, old man? This is not even a spiral staircase."  
"First, who do you call an old man? I am 38! And secondly, a brat like you shouldn't give any cheeky answers to elders."  
"So you _are_ an old man."  
Demoman grumbles. Soldier laughs.  
"You are meant too!"  
The next step section is climbed and then finally the top is reached. A small attic with a single, windowless window at the end.  
"Well, look at that. From here, Snipes would have had a great view during fighting."  
Looking out the window, the three of them realize they are in the tower which towering over the whole place.  
"Yes, nice view. But a dead end. Waste of time. Well, at least there seems to be no robots here."  
"But on the other side of this sawmill we have found this room that leads us to the outside area."  
"Yes, but for that we first have to tear down the wall. And if we could do that, we still face the problem that 8 to 10 meters separate us from the ground. A fall from this height is associated with risks" Tavish surmises. "This here are even 15 meters…"  
"No problem. Down there is the sewer."  
"Get it wrong and the water is as hard as concrete. Besides, the water is not that deep. Kid, we are not in a video game here! That is the reality and there is fall damage. That's what you should know best. Or have you already forgotten the fall of the stairs that killed you?"  
"Excuse me! That was just a few inches and it just killed me because I was burning and my HP was already in the red zone."  
"NO. VIDEO. GAME."  
"Calm down, private!"  
Demoman breathes deeply in and out. "Fine."  
"We're not forced to jump anyway."  
"Not yet. Besides, Jane and I don't fit through this window."  
"Oh my God! What's wrong with you? Think a little bit positively! You are so pissed all the time!"  
Demoman returns to the middle of the small room, upset. "I really hate to play the spoilsport, but what we do here is pointless. We will not leave this place. We waste our time. Instead, we should face our enemy and fight to the last drop of blood!"  
Jeremy and Jane stay silent. If Tavish is honest, he hoped they could find a way out of here. How could he forget that they would never get away alive? And if he is even more honest, then he lied to Engie when he said he was not mad at him if he could just go home. No, he's eaten up by envy and anger. And the fact that Engie renounces his chance of getting old, to stay with them, makes Demo feel like an unholy bastard. He hates himself more than Mann Co.

Scout notices a faint glow of light falling through the window and looks up at the sky.  
"Wow, look at this."  
A blanket of stars had overlaid the black and illuminates the sky.  
Soldier must lift his helmet to enjoy the sight.  
"Come on, Demo. Look at this. This will light up your mood."  
Tavish sighs, but meets Scout's request and looks up with him and Soldier up to the sky. And indeed, his face lights up.  
"I have to admit... it's really beautiful. In all this years stars were rare. And just today, on our last night, this spectacle."  
"Yeah, it almost looks like the Milky Way."  
"The Lord wants to pay us his respects, so that he can immediately takes us to Himself if we die an honorable death, you maggots."  
"You think so?"  
"Positive! That's why we shouldn't disappoint Him and us!"  
"At least we have some light outdoors again."

The sound of babbling water draws the attention of the three down to the bridge.  
"Did you hear that? Sounds like someone or something is sneaking through the sewer."  
"Maybe the robots are now on the rise. We should go back to the others. Quick!"  
The three are on the way back.  
"Oh! Stop! What is that?"  
Next to the door stands a few boxes that were missed when they entered the attic.  
Demoman looks at them more closely. A thick chain with a large lock keeps the box locked. On the side stands big and wide _Mann Co._  
"A supply crate… Does any of you still have a key?"  
"No."  
"Negative!"  
"2 dollars?"  
"No? Every box I've opened in the last 5 years has been a waste."  
"We don't need a key or money! There are no rules in this place anymore!" Jane shoulders his rocket launcher and aims at the supply crates, but Demoman puts himself protectively in front of them.  
"Are you crazy? Maybe the content of these boxes could help us! Other than that, you could blow us up in this narrow space or even bring down the whole tower! You cannot solve every problem with your rockets! Sometimes I wish you were a bit like BLU Soldier. He never was hell-bent on getting his own way."  
"Hmpf!" Doe drops his launcher, but he doesn't like it.  
"The crates are too big. We can only take one."  
"Soldier and I can each take a box. You just have to carry his rocket launcher."  
"WHAT?"  
"For real? I shall play the pack mule and light at the same time?"  
"You have two arms. Apart from that, we assume the role of the pack mule. Or do you want to carry a box?"  
"No, no, no need to. Besides, I always wanted to carry a rocket launcher on my shoulder. That's so cool."  
Scout gives Jane a provocative look. He growls.  
"Come on, Jane! We have to go back" Tavish urges.  
"All right. But woe be to you if she'll just get a scratch, then I'll load her with you the next time and catapult you into orbit!"  
"Pfft! At least I would be safe from Mann Co. and their robots there."  
"I would not rely on that…"  
"Here, son." Soldier puts his beloved rocket launcher on Scout's shoulder.  
"Wow, heavy."  
"Hold it tight so it will not slip off your slender milksop shoulder."  
"Hey!"  
When Jane releases the gun, her weight pulls the runner backward and would have brought him down if Doe had not intervened.  
"Yeah, yeah…"  
Even as Jeremy finally finds the golden mean, the heavy weapon threatens to drop him either backwards or forwards. In addition, the weight presses on his shoulder bone. But he bites his teeth tight. "Okay, I got it now."  
Tavish and Jane each take a box. They are so big that they have to hold them in both arms.  
"Shall we come back for the other three?"  
"We'll discuss that later. Now back to the others."

With his hands on his hips, Dell stands in his workshop and looks down at the heavy robot. The empty eye sockets stare at him, and he wonders if the former BLU member feels right now. Does he feel pain? Can he think? Does he know where he is and what happens to him?  
Since childhood, Engineer has been passionate about every kind of machine. You can create and destroy them without having to feel bad about them.  
But this ... How could it have come this far? How can Mann Co. arrange this with their conscience? But that has no meaning anymore. It's the way it is.  
"So Buddy ... Then let's deliver you, huh?"  
Dell walks over to his workbench. He takes his cable tongs from the tool wall and slowly returns. If it cuts the cables that lead to the brain, it should be over. It does not move anymore, but that does not have to mean anything. Better safe than sorry.

Dell kneels down to the robot but hesitates to use the tool. An inner voice in him says that's wrong. Texans are very religious people. Killing is a sin. In the last five years he had killed many of the BLUs, but that was different! After all, they came back again.  
At first I was planning to re-program you, but ... Medic is right. We need a strong fighter at our side. Even during your lifetime as a human you were very strong. I'm not strong and not very tall, like you. To fight and defend myself, I need machines. You have already made some acquaintance with my Sentry. I don't know if you remember...  
_What are you doing?_  
"I uh ... I don't want to use you like an object. You fought enough."  
Engie puts the pliers on one of the cable strands, but hesitates again.  
_Do it!_  
"I cannot let you go."  
_Pull yourself together!_  
"Do you have family? Our Heavy has a mother and three sisters. One does not immediately see it, but he is a very kindhearted person. We all like him. Even Scout, even if he does not show it. I bet you were ... are also such a person. If the rules of Mann Co. were not so strict, we would certainly have become friends."  
Dell's hand around the pliers cramps. This situation now reminds him of when his mother was in coma. Every day, young Dell visited her at the hospital and talked to her. The doctors said she could hear him. He had believed that. But after she finally died without waking up, Dell was not so sure anymore.  
Even if Engineer could go home, his father would expect him there, allowing his son to have the same formative experiences that would make him look like he had become his father. A shadow of his former self, eaten away by self-loathing, haunted by nightmares because he allowed his team to be wiped out. Maybe that's why his father had never talked about his own father. Because he himself came back as a broken man. He is so broken that he was not even there when his wife died. Therefore, he also avoided the cemetery on which she lies.  
"It's better if we all die ... None of us has a future."

_"You still have a future, Mr. Conagher."_  
Dell raises his head in surprise. In the corner on the ceiling hangs a speaker, but the voice speaks in room volume with him. He turns his attention back to the robot.  
"Can the whole team hear you or just me?" he asks soundlessly.  
_"Only you. Don't worry."_  
"Should I be worried?"  
_"Mr. DeGroot was correct in his assumption about you."_  
Dell closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.  
_"You can go home."_  
"And then? So that I will become like my father? The family tree of my family will pass with me. Mann Co. cannot count on any more Conagher. And even if I actually put another child into this world, I would never expose my own flesh and blood to these atrocities. No, I will stay and fight at the side of my team until the end. But you already know that."  
_"I do. And I didn't expect anything else."_  
"Did you expect that from my father, too? Or my grandfather?"  
_"Your grandfather, Radigan Conagher, was the one with whom the special contract between Mann Co. and the Conagher family came about. After all, he had done a lot for the company. Especially as far as Blutarch and Redmond are concerned. But only when the next generation moves on. He had no reservations. He thought the same thing about his son. But, as I had to hear, he had not taken it so well."_  
"If he hadn't sent me here, he would have been killed?"  
_"Yes."_  
_He sold me after all..._  
_"But not only him. Mann Co. would have had to kill you and your mother as well. It would have been necessary to wipe out the entire Conagher family. If the contract is broken, no one is allowed to live. Your father sent you here to save you. But the company still gives you a chance if you agree to commit to Mann Co. until the end of your life."_

"…he didn't have to do that. I mention it again. I'm not ready to let my team die alone here. Besides, I have no children. With me the contract is broken. I will die either way."  
_I'm sorry father…_  
"And besides, I will not sell my soul to Mann Co. a second time."  
_"I see. So be it."_  
"Why are you doing that? At least let young Jeremy go."  
_"That is not at my discretion. Everything that happens here is not my will."_  
"And why are you here then?"  
_"For the same reason as you. I was born into this situation. The place at Mann Co. was predestined for me from the beginning. You cannot choose your destiny."_  
"Except me."  
_"That's true. You have clearly expressed what you want. The company regrets your decision, but it accepts it."_

_"Good luck."_  
The voice stops and Dell is alone again. A sarcastic smile creeps on his face. One might think that this good luck could have a deeper meaning. A meaning that makes one hope grow, that they may all come out alive and just continue their lives as before. But all that these two words are is pure habit. Before the start of every mission, or when only one member of the team was alive, the administrator wished them _good luck._  
"Did not think such words could make a situation even more hopeless."  
Dell puts the cable tongs aside and leans against the wall behind him, looking at the robot with tired eyes.

**Team Fortress 2**

"Why didn't you tell him that the mercenaries will be replaced by robots?" asks Miss Pauling, after Helen sets the stand microphone aside.  
"That wouldn't have made a difference. He has decided to make 2Fort his grave."  
"And what if he had a child?"  
"Mann Co. would have get the child when the time is right."  
"But the robot mercenaries-"  
"Not even I can say exactly when they will be used firmly. Maybe in the next season, maybe only after I died a long time ago. So long human replenishment must be brought in. Primarily for experimental reasons."  
"…I cannot let that happen."  
"Sit back down, Miss Pauling."  
"No." The young woman's body is cramped as she stands beside her chair and looks at Helen with a resolute look. She turns her head slightly in Miss Pauling's direction. Relaxed, she takes a drag from her cigarette.  
"If you act against the will of the company, you will be killed."  
"I'm going to be killed anyway! Just like you ... Do you really want to take it that way?"  
"That's my destiny."  
"It saddens me to hear you speak like that. But I will not wait for Mann Co. to send their people here. Miss Helen, farewell."  
"…"

With these words, Miss Pauling storms out of the control room and makes her way to her scooter as fast as she can. The images are running through her head, as Jeremy was almost killed by the heavy robot, almost ripped apart by the circular saw. The tragic family history of Engineer ... Spy and all the others ... they didn't deserve this.  
She makes a detour to visit her room once more. Actually, it's rather a small chamber. She doesn't have much, but that never really bothered her. She liked her work here. And one of her favorite possessions is a photo. A group photo with her and the RED team, from five years ago. She had hung it over her barren bed. This team is like a family for her. She is an orphan, had to grow up in a children's home, never had friends. This picture shall be the last thing she wants to see before she dies. And this will probably happen soon. Mann Co. watches them like Helen watches the mercenaries. They probably already know what Miss Pauling is up to and they will try to stop her, so she has to hurry.  
She stows the picture in her skirt pocket, brings out her handgun under her pillow and makes her way to the lowest level. The elevator that leads there is equipped with a double-fused biometric lock. The lift will open only by scanning Miss Pauling's handprint and eye retina. But this time the locks don't respond to her. But she had expected that. Mann Co. had already changed the code and probably not just the elevator one. Now she only has limited access to rooms and elevators throughout the headquarters. But Miss Pauling spends up to 95% of her time in this building and therefore knows alternative ways. The remaining 5% she had been using including to shadow the teams wherefore she found out that the RED Demoman and the BLU Soldier were friends - and now the entire BLU team is dead. It could have all run differently. Mann Co. could have wiped out the RED team and let the BLU team fight the robots. But the RED team just has more potential.

She feels guilty. But she had no choice. She had to report it to Helen. Because she is loyal. She was always loyal and very obedient. She did many things she disliked, but she didn't care to anger her employers. And now? Now Mann Co. is planning to kill her too when they doesn't need her anymore. Her and Helen. After all, what they did for the company. Helen has become something of a friend to the young woman over the years. The first in her life. Of course she had never told her that. And now there is no turning back.

There is a ventilation shaft next to the lift. The ventilation grille is tightened with four screws. But this is no problem. Miss Pauling puts the gun in her skirt belt and pulls a small universal screwdriver out of her hair bun. Cleverly and at considerable speed, she turns out the screws, removes the grille, tucks the screwdriver back into her hair and crawls into the shaft.

The shaft is quite winding and every few meters the path splits, but the young woman knows exactly where to go. Some time ago, she had studied the plan of the entire ventilation shaft system. A must. For emergency. She would never have expected to actually have to crawl through the shafts for a completely different reason.  
It goes right, right, left over a small hill, right again and finally reaches the sharp ascent that leads directly into the arms of a large, fast-rotating fan. Behind this lies directly the garage where her moped is waiting for her. Of course she would have been prepared for that too if the whole situation was not so spontaneous.  
Miss Pauling takes off her left shoe. This would have to be enough to stop the blades of the fan for the time being. But that must be done wisely.  
With her legs moving forward, Miss Pauling carefully moves down the shaft. With her palms, she can excellently supported on the metal wall right and left, but her left foot, dressed with her stocking, slips permanently over the smooth surface. Which is why she not only has to be cautious, but in particular has to slide down very slowly. She holds her shoe with her little finger of the right hand, which makes things a little more difficult. The muscles in her arm are heavily loaded and she soon realizes how her powers are dwindling. The sweat is already on her forehead, which is not only due to the effort. The glasses slip down a bit.  
At least two and a half meters separate her from the fan. The strong wind blows towards her. A strand of hair falls into her face and tickles her forehead and nose. She blows it away, but the strand is stubborn.  
_You always get in my way in the most impossible moments…_

Miss Pauling is so focused that she does not immediately notice the thick liquid beneath her. Only when she begins to slip heavily, she sees the oil running under her down to the fan. Automatically, the young woman turns her head backwards. From there, the oil comes down. Probably from a hidden compartment. A security mechanism to prevent intruders from entering, or someone like Miss Pauling to leaving HQ. And possibly to eliminate them by the large and sharp fan blades.  
Slight panic overcomes her, but she can quickly regain her cool head. She has to double her efforts, which she could never last long enough for her to arrive down there. She has no choice. She MUST slip. Either way. Only with a big - huge - portion of luck she can survive. Everything depends only on her shoe. It must be stuck between one of the wings and the shaft wall. And because she cannot take the risk that the fan will let itself be stopped by her shoe forever, she has to go right behind it. Another reason is that if she drops her shoe, she will lose her halt.  
"Well then Pauling… it's now or never."  
Internally she has to smile about this sentence. In her position, the words sound so out of place.

As if in a trance, she finally drops her shoe, and though her footwear rides down the shaft like a rocket thanks to the oil, it all looks as if it's happen in slow motion.  
She rushes at high speed. She keeps herself up so if the shoe fails to stop the fan, she can leap forward directly into the wings. Because if she has to die here, then it should go fast.  
The shoe arrives the fan and she jumps. This happens automatically. Miss Pauling didn't even know if the wings came to a halt or not. She had probably expected to die. But in fact she falls through the gap, rolls on the floor and stares motionless for a moment into nothingness. She realizes she made it when she sees her glasses broken in front of her. She gets up and turns to the fan. It stands still, etches and moans through the disability. But it does not last long. With a powerful jerk the wings divide the shoe in half. One half is trapped behind the fan, while the other falls to the floor into the puddle of oil that formed directly under the ventilation shaft.  
_Looks like I have to go barefoot._  
Miss Pauling takes off her second shoe, noticing blood running down her right arm. She looks at her shoulder and discovers a deep wound there. She had injured herself on one of the wings while jumping but had not noticed it due to the adrenalin. Instinctively, she tears off a piece of fabric from her purple skirt and ties it tightly around the wound. Then she gets on her moped, puts on the helmet and drives off. The garage has no door or gate, which is why she can easily leave the grounds of the headquarters. She has to reach the street of Route 99. But first she has to get through the minefield unscathed.  
When she reaches the uneven area of the barren landscape, a mine explodes only a few meters away from her. Dust whirls around and stones fly against her helmet. They are not landmines, but ones that can be detonated remotely. But as a prospective administrator Miss Pauling knows about the positions of the mines. Mann Co. hopes she will panic and make mistakes if she sees her life in danger. But she keeps her cool head and skips every mine skillfully, until she finally reaches the concrete road and thus out of the danger zone.  
She looks back to headquarters. Nothing and no one follows her. Nobody has to chase her. She will die either way. That's what Mann Co. knows, that's what she knows. But before that happens, she wants to make amends for her deeds.  
"I'm coming, boys."

Helen takes a drag on her cigarette as she watches Miss Pauling drive away with her moped. Not surprisingly, she survived the ventilation shaft and minefield, but she would have gives Miss Pauling credits with some more professionalism.  
"Pity about you, Miss Pauling. You would've had make an excellent administrator."

**Team Fortress 2**

Medic, Heavy, Sniper, and Pyro hang out in the respawn's antechamber as Scout, Demo, and Soldier return to them.  
"Ah, there you are. What are these boxes?"  
Jane and Tavish put the crates down on the floor, though Solly rather drops his. Immediately he takes his rocket launcher from the boy and clasps it in his arms.  
"We found them over there. Does any of you have a key?"  
Soldier waves at the camera. "Hello, ma'am Administrator! I would like to order a key. Oh! But I have no money ... Does anyone have money? Demo, you?"  
"What are you doing, buddy? Do you want to blow money in Mann Cos ass? Besides, they wouldn't help us anyway."  
A noise sounds. There is a tube under the camera. The flap opens and a moment later Soldier holds a pneumatic post with two crate keys in his hands.  
"Thanks!"  
In Tavish's pocket, his PDA is gives a signal. With a sense of foreboding, he pulls it out.  
"Great… Now I have $ 4 less on my cash account."  
"Don't whine! Everyone has to take one for the team!" Jane fumbles the keys out from the pneumatic tube and opens the two crates one after the other.  
"And?" Everyone tries to look inside. Enthusiasm is limited when they see the content.  
"A sapper? Looks strange" Scout takes the white sapper with the blue light in the middle in both hands and considers it from all sides.  
_"Hello!"_  
Terrified, Jeremy drops it.  
_"Ouch!"_

"Dat thing can talk!?"  
"Holy Mary mother of Jospeh!"  
_"Thank you for freeing me, but be careful with me."_  
Jeremy picks up the sapper again, but keeps it a bit away because the thing makes him feel uneasy.  
_"Hello, my name is Wheatley" _it says cheerfully._ "I am an ap-sap with feelings and provide hours of lively conversation."_  
"H-hello…?"  
"Now we have another robot on our hands. With my money."  
Pyro joins them and peers over Scout's shoulder. He raises an arm and touches the moving blue in the middle of the sapper. Wheatley jerks and twitches with a pair of flaps as if they were eyelids.  
_"Please do not touch my eye. I'm very sensitive."_  
"That's your eye?! That's cool! And somehow repulsive..."

"Hey! Look, what was in the other crate" Sniper brings out a gas can.  
"For whom should this be an advantage?"  
When Pyro sees the canister, he is immediately on fire. He reaches for it. Mundy is about to give it to him.  
"What is Sniper doing? Not good idea to give it little Pyro."  
"Heavy is right. We should not do that" agrees Medic.  
"Let him be. Just look how he begs" Jane pats Pyro's head.  
"I think he does not quite know what's going on right here. And before it comes to an end, we should let him have his fun."  
All eyes are on Engineer. He steps out of his workshop, closes the door behind him, walks over to Sniper, takes the gas can from him and hands it Pyro, who embraces it happily.  
"You sure, Truckie?"  
"Pyro with gasoline is our least problem. And to be honest, I would much rather die by the fire of a teammate than by Mann Co. robots."  
"Okay, and what do we do now, lads? The contents of these crates were worthless."  
_"I said, I have feelings."_  
"Sorry."  
"Boys, before we decide how to proceed, I have to tell you something."  
Curious glances rest on the Texan. He takes off his yellow helmet and thinks about how to start.  
"So ... It's about my family." Dell looks over at Tavish. He makes a worried face.  
"What? That you will not see them again? Newsflash! We neither."  
"No not really. The administrator contacted me."  
"So… it's true?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Could you both be more explicit? Why is the administrator contacting you?"  
"Do you have secrets? Oh! Oh! Pay attention! Now the hard helmet tells us that he and the administrator have an affair!"  
_"Oh! That sounds exciting!"_  
"That's a lie!" Surprised looks rest on Sniper. Ashamed, he folds his arms and turns his head away.

Dell breathes in and out before speaking.  
"It's about ... She told me that my family has a special contract with Mann Co. Or rather had."  
„What do you mean, Engie?"  
"It's a contract that-"  
"Dell" Tavish interrupts, but the Texan makes a gesture of refusal.  
"It's okay, I have to tell them. They deserve it. This special contract ensures that every Conagher after the expiration of the standard contract may return home. Alive."  
A deep silence fills the room.  
Scout shakes his head in disbelief. "Wait a moment! YOU can go home then? Just like that? And we have to die here?"  
"Jeremy-"  
"Oh, I see." Scout turns around to Medic. "And you may go home, too, am I right? I mean ... after all, you're a Medic. A doctor. Doctors and technicians are rare and irreplaceable. Unlike a scout, or a spy or a soldier, right? We are simply interchangeable."  
"I assure you, Scout, that's not the case. And even if I could return to Germany, what would I have for a life? A very lonely one."  
"And what about your carrier pigeons?" The runner is very upset.  
"Without you, no pigeons." Ludwig does not feel attacked. He can understand Scout's reaction.

"Stop, son. Medic has nothing to do with it. This contract came about only between Mann Co. and my family. And I broke it. It's over. I will die here, too."  
_"Wait ... What do you mean, you should die? We have just become friends."_  
At first, Scout seems skeptical, but then he looks ashamed to the ground.  
"…sorry…" he mutters.  
"There was nothing else to expect from you, Engie." Soldier slaps Dell firmly on the shoulder. "A soldier never lets his team down. And you have proven that you are a real soldier. You deserve a medal! But all my medals got Medic…"  
On Engineers face a smile appears. "It's okay. Your words are honor enough."

Suddenly, Dell's destruction PDA answers.  
"Oh no..."He pulls it out and stares in disbelief at the small screen.  
"What's wrong?"  
"My sentry was sapped."  
"What?! How?"  
"HUDDA!" Pyro's sudden outcry makes the others jump. He waves cheerfully towards the stairs to the courtyard.  
"Oh fuck!" Scout gives a jerk when he suddenly sees Spy standing next to him, almost stumbling over the crates. "You've made me jump all right! So you're still alive-Aaaahhh!"  
Suddenly Spy pulls out his knife and attacks Scout. He raises the speaking Sapper as a protective shield. The sharp blade penetrates Wheatley's surface.  
_"No! HELP!"_  
With horror, Jeremy realizes that this is not the real Spy, but his robot doppelganger. Heavy grabs Scout and pulls him back while his other hand grabs the robot's head and pushes it back. It bounces against the frame, but immediately gets ready for the next attack. But that does not happen anymore. A sound like metal on metal is heard and the spy does not move for a moment. And then the real Spy appears behind it.  
Puzzled everyone is watching, when Aiméric storms to Scout, wrests Wheatley from him and places it on the robot.  
_"There you go. Once again, expertly hacked. Quite technical! Well, actually it's my first time…"_  
Robo-Spy gets a short circuit and becomes immobilized.  
"Good, you can sap them. At least something."  
"Spy ... mate, what a sight you are."  
Aimérics Mask is on the sides torn open and expose his hair, his face is blood-smeared. Medic immediately grabs his Medigun, which he has placed on the table and wraps the Frenchman in the red mist, who leans back against the wall. The wounds close in seconds and Aiméric breathes heavily in and out.  
"Thank you, Docteur."

"Spy ..." Scout starts, but he doesn't know what to say.  
"Good to see that you made it safely in here."  
"Only with pain and misery... No thanks to you!" Jeremy crosses his arms.  
A smile appears on Spy's face.  
"Nice to see you're alright, Frenchie."  
"Merci, Soldier."  
Everyone emphasizes how happy they are that Spy has returned alive back into their midst.  
There is a small explosion on the ground below them.  
"Sentry down!"  
"Did that soup can actually sapped the sentry?" Demoman looks skeptically at the Spy robot.  
"He did." Spy pulls his knife out of the metal back and puts it back in his suit. "Not only did they copied our appearance, they also copied our skills. And not just that. They can even see me when I'm invisible."  
"But they are not vastly superior. We just have to sap them, right?"  
"I'm not sure if that's easy. That we could put this thing incapacitate, was fortunate coincidence. Over there I had a hard time with him."  
"How did you escape?"  
"Through a ventilation shaft."  
Scout jumps. "A ventilation shaft? Are you crazy? Don't you know how dangerous shafts are?"  
"…what?"  
"Scout has had bad experiences over there."  
"Don't downplay it! I almost got split into two by a circular saw! This base also has a secret passage. It looks like in a wood processing factory! But I think we can escape from there. There are no robots there either."  
"That sounds good. We should not waste any time and search for an escape route."  
"And what about him?" Dell nods to the Spy robot.  
"We leave him like that. As long as nobody removes the sapper, he stays in that state."  
_"You can count on me!"_

"What's wrong, Engie?"  
"There's something else you need to know." Engineer looks over at Medic, Heavy, and Sniper. They nod.  
"These robots ... are the BLU team."


	5. Paradisiacal innocence

"Miss Pauling! Miss Pauling!"  
"What are you doing, boy?"  
With a wave, Scout jumps up and down in front of the camera. "I'm trying to get Miss Pauling's attention. I'm sure she would help us."  
Dell shakes his head. "I'm sorry if I have to tell you that, but I do not think she'll help us. After all, she belongs to Mann Co."  
"I don't believe that! She and me, we have a special connection!"  
"Don't you think that she would have contacted us already?"  
Scout pauses now. Uncertain, he stares at his feet and considers whether Engineer could be right.  
The Texan puts a hand on his shoulder.  
"She could be killed if she helps us, right?"  
"That's what I think. So I don't blame her. Not even the administrator. No one but the big gun of Mann Co. is to blame for all of that."  
Energetically Jeremy looks at Dell. "Then we have to kill that bastard! Then we are free and can go home!"  
"Son, this venture will be impossible. First, we have to get it out of here. Then we would have to find out where the headquarters is located. Should we actually succeed, it will be an impossibility to storm it. Certainly it is closely-guarded."  
"And if we still succeed and we kill the chief boss?"  
"If we really succeed, it wouldn't be over yet. To end it, we would have to destroy Mann Co. And that's an impossibility for ordinary mortals like us."  
"Yeah, that's how it will be ... Goodbye, Miss Pauling." Scout clenches his hands into fists and takes a deep breath. "I love you!"  
"Oh boy…"  
"Well, it had no future anyway. She never noticed me."  
"She had no choice. At Mann Co. there are strict rules. Friendships and love are forbidden."  
"Do you think she would love me if these rules did not exist?"  
"Oh er… I-I don't know…"  
"Never mind. I will not get the chance to ask her anyway."  
Dell pats Jeremy's back.

With his arms crossed, Tavish is standing with his back to the open door to the workshop, watching Spy, Medic, and Soldier standing around the Heavy robot, examining it. But his hearing is directed to Scout and Engineer.  
Friendships are prohibited. Tavish was very good friends with the BLU Soldier. Secretly, of course. But could it be that ... Had Mann Co. figured it out? But how? They have always met only in the places of the bases where there were no cameras. But then that would mean that they were spied on. But Tavish doesn't think someone from his team is capable of doing something like that. Maybe someone from the BLU team?  
Demoman sighs beaten. To worry about it is absolutely pointless. It had happened now and no power in this world can reverse that.

"Demoman?"  
The Scot is startled when Medic suddenly stands beside him.  
"Are you okay?"  
"…you are worried about my welfare, even though we are in a hopeless situation?"  
"Of course. I'm the doctor here, remember? Maybe I did not always give the impression in the years, but I was always there for you. Even if you didn't need my Medigun."

"So, are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"  
"I really appreciate your sympathy, but I do not want to talk about it. But ... can you possibly heal mental wounds?"  
"Not with my Medigun. But talking could help."  
Uncertain Tavish looks down. Ludwig finally takes him by the arm and leads him out onto the balustrade. The bright starry sky shines their way.  
"So. What's the matter?"  
Demo takes a step back. "What happened to the real Doc?"  
"I can imagine that you are a little surprised. For the last five years, I've always been a bit ..." Medic gestures to search for the right word. "... godlike."  
"A bit?"  
"Well, maybe I have sometimes considered myself as God. This feeling of being able to decide on another person's life and death is simply ... divine! And all these experiments. I mean, you can shape your patients according to your will! And after every successful operation, you just want to keep going and create something bigger-"  
"Medic!"  
"Hm?"  
"You have that crazy look again."  
"What do you mean?"  
"You always have that when you drift off."  
"Oh… um…" Medic clears his throat. "I'm sorry. Where were we?"  
"*sigh* I'm just wondering ... If these robots are the former BLU team, maybe I'll have a chance to talk to John one last time."  
"John?"  
"The BLU Soldier."  
"So you were friends with him?"  
"You knew?"  
"No, but the fact that you know his real name makes me suspect that. And I was right."  
Abashed, Tavish stays silent for a moment.  
"That was three years ago in Sawmill. BLU had won the fight and hunted us. I was lying badly injured in the water and it was hard for me to stay above the surface. I was about to drown. And suddenly he was there, took me under the arms and pulled me to the shore. I lay on my back and didn't dare to move. I don't know if that was because of his rocket launcher, which was cracking loudly because of the Kritz, and I was afraid he was going to shoot me into a thousand pieces with it, or if it was because I was so surprised he saved me from drowning."

"We looked at each other. It felt like an eternity. His blue eyes were shining under his helmet. His look was severe, but then he asked me if I was okay."  
A sad smile appears on Demo's face and it starts to burn behind his eye, but he can hold back the tears, but he isn't able to fight against the trembling in his voice.  
"Although I was in pain everywhere, I just replied - Sure, I'm fine. And I meant it that way. And though I was afraid he might kill me, if I asked why he did that. He leaned on his rocket launcher and said: It is dishonorable to kill unarmed and wounded soldiers. Besides, drowning is a god-awful death!" Tavish tries to imitate John's voice as much as possible.  
Medic listens patiently.  
"This empathy I had never encountered before in life. I didn't even know that such a thing existed! Especially not at war. When we finally won the next fight, I got up to look for him. To give him back what he had given me. And I found him. He stood there like a deer in the forest glade, refusing to move from the spot, knowing that the hunters were lurking everywhere. Luckily none of you had discovered him yet. At first I tried to make him hide with words, but all he said was that he was not a coward. So I had to use force. I knocked his helmet off his head and hit him. Then I dragged him to a safe hiding place and waited for him to wake up. He got angry and said he wanted to die like a real soldier. I didn't understand that. He did not kill any defenseless enemies, but he wanted to be killed. He told me that the winners are like a pack of rabid wolves pouncing on their prey and that just doesn't proper to a soldier. He knows this from his own team and is ashamed of them. And at that moment I was ashamed too. For me. After all, I had done that too before he saved me. If we won, I hunted down the losers."  
"If you now believe that you have been a bad person to date, then I can reassure you. It's perfectly normal to chase the loser team. What of it! They came back again and again. This is not a war. It has never been and still is not. Otherwise, I would be off the hook. Because in the war no Medics may be killed. But often I was the first to be stabbed, shot, burned, or blown up."  
With the last part Ludwig wanted to lighten the mood a bit, but that was a failure. Tavish looks at him dejectedly.  
"And what is it then, if not war?"  
"…" Medic looks uncertainly up to the sky and then back to Demoman. "I have to admit, I do not have a correct answer to that."  
"An incorrect answer would be alright. The main thing is some ANY answer."  
"The situation is different for both sides. For us it is a struggle for survival without a positive outcome, that's for sure. And for Mann Co., it's kind of um ... incubation time. They have revealed their intentions to us and now they just have to wait until we are wiped out."

"To return to BLU Soldier - do not try to meet him on a human level. You would not succeed."

Tavish is silent for a moment. However, after finding a suitable answer, he opens his mouth to let Medic know what he's thinking, something hisses past by near Medics head. Demoman is thrown backwards and after a brief moment of confusion, the Scot screams at the top of his voice. His pain-distorted scream echoes throughout the place.  
Medic stares at this arrow, which has drilled into Tavish's shoulder and nailed him to the wall behind him until he realizes it was an attack.  
He whirls around while calling for Heavy. Actually unnecessary, because the mercenaries are already coming to them on the balustrade, alarmed by Demoman's cries.  
"Heavy, pull out the arrow and bring him in!" Ludwig sees the BLU sniper on the other side. He waves to him and his mechanical voice calls over to them.  
_"Thanks for standing still, wanker!"_

When Misha pulls the arrow out of Demoman's flesh, he screams even louder, before he collapses exhausted in the arms of the Russian. Heavy brings him in immediately, the others gather around them.  
Medic can hardly tear his eyes away from the Robo-Sniper. Not even when it stretches its bow with a new arrow and aims at him.  
"MEDIC!"  
Heavy's scream pulls him out of his trance and he automatically takes a step back, behind the safe privacy shield of corrugated iron. The arrow shoots past him and pierces the wall, right into the spot marked with Tavish's blood.  
"Doc, come on!" Suddenly Engie is standing next to him. He grabs his arm and pulls him in to the others. Soldier holds his Medigun in his hands and tries by force to make it work.  
"What are you doing?" Medic calls and prys the Medigun out of his hands. "If you break the lever, it's over with the healing and then I'm as useful as an ice-cube vendor in the Antarctic!"  
With feeling, Ludwig activates the lever and frees the healing red mist that envelops Demoman, closing the severely bleeding wound within seconds. The rest of the arrow drops out and Sniper picks it up to look at it.  
The sweat is on Tavish's forehead and with half-opened eyes, but a relieved smile, he looks up at the doctor.  
"Thanks Doc."  
Medic ends the fog and turns around to face Soldier. He takes a step back and plays nervously with his fingers.  
"What were you thinking?" Medic begins to scold again. Dell gently touches his shoulder.  
"Hey, that's okay, Doc. I would have repaired it. Everything is only half as bad."  
"So much for only half as bad. In this situation, healing is the only thing that makes me useful!"  
"It is not your fault that I was hurt."  
Surprised, Ludwig turns around to Demoman, who is back on his own legs. "I was the one standing face-to-face with the BLU base. I should have seen it coming."  
"But I was the one who led you out to the balustrade."  
"That is true, but I have allowed that. No one of us was aware of the danger. We just didn't... think about it."

"Are you both completely stupid?" Scout exclaims stunned. "You were not aware of the danger? Hello-ho! Are you crazy?"  
"Shut up, Scout."  
"But-"  
Spy puts a hand on Demoman's and Medic's shoulder. "Is okay. We are still complete. That's all that counts."

"The bigger the group, the better the chances of survival, right?"  
All eyes are on Mundy, who leans back against the wall and stares at the arrowhead in his hand.  
Aiméric straightens his tie. "What do you mean, Bushman?"  
"I only express what you think."  
"Oh? And what do I think?"  
"In your eyes we are nothing but shields. And the longer we last, the longer you can live."  
Spy is silent and watches Sniper for a time, until he finally approaches him slowly. "You're right. The larger a group, the greater your own chance of survival. That's logic. But you forget something very important." Now Aiméric is right in front of Mundy and they both look each other in the eye. "The same goes for you. Not only you are my shield, but I am yours too. This is true for each of us! Think about it next time, if you want to act like a moralist."  
Spy turns his back on him now. "Apart from that, we will not get out of here alive anyway."  
"Aye, lad! What's wrong with ya?"  
"…nothing."  
"I can understand that the emotions boil up, now that one of us was just almost killed" Engineer tries to reassure, but Scout does not like it at all.  
"**And what about me**?"  
"Am sorry, boy."  
"NO! I'm not in the mood anymore to have to hear that you don't give a shit about me! I almost died twice already and what do you do? You rally around the Cyclops and treat him like your sweetheart! It makes me wanna puke!"  
"Engie didn't mean it that way, Scout."  
"Of course not!" Jeremy stands in front of Dell and repeatedly pokes his forefinger in his chest. "Instead of dumb talk, you should rather set up a new Sentry."

"**Enough**!"  
A jolt goes through the team as Heavy's voice thunders.  
"What are you doing? Team has to stick together! But you just yell and blame each other! Why? Now, where it really matters, you lose focus!"  
While the team enters silent, Scout only feels provoked even more.  
"The fat has probably invaded your skull and displaced your brain, huh? When we die, we will not come back. Of course we crack up! It's a mystery to me that you stay so calm. Don't you have a mother and two sisters?"  
"Three."  
"Whatever! You will not see them ever again."  
"... Scout is right. Heavy knows that. But that's exactly what it's about. Before I die, I want to think about my family and not argue with my team." Heavy reaches for Sasha and descends the stairs to the courtyard.  
"Heavy! What are you doing?" Medic follows him to the stairs. The Russian turns around to him.  
"Heavy will fight. Thank you for your help over the years, Doktor. You are great Doktor. The best."

"Yeah what now? Are we fighting or are we trying to escape?"  
"Scout and team can flee." Heavy continues on his way.  
"Oh great! Now everyone does what he wants or what? Heavy the rebel!"  
"Instead of scolding, you should do what you think is right, Jeremy." With these words, Medic straps his backpack and takes the Medigun in both hands. He gives each individual team member an overheal. "I know, I'm the doctor here and I'd love to be there for everyone at the same time, but I cannot split into eight."  
"It's okay, Doc." Engineer puts a hand on Ludwig's shoulder. "Go with Heavy. He most of all needs you. I will help the others with my dispenser as best I can."  
"Thank you."  
"Wait, Doc."  
"What is it?"  
"I'm sorry, because of earlier. I said you had no respect for life. I did not mean it like that."  
"With a smile, Medic puts his hand over Dell's, resting on his shoulder. "I didn't take it that way. Don't worry. And you all - take care of yourself. Whatever your plans are, our paths may cross again. And Tavish?"  
"Aye?"  
"Remember my words, about John."

Medic now descends the stairs to the courtyard and turns the corner.

Heavy is not to bee seen. Medic follows the path to the crossroads, where he stops and thinks where Heavy might have gone.  
The sound of a rotating Gatling sounds from the direction of the bridge and Medic hurries there. Heavy moves slowly across the bridge toward the BLU base. He keeps his Minigun at bay, ready to shoot immediately.  
Carefully, Medic casts a glance over to the balustrade. He expects to see the Robo-Sniper there, but the balustrade is deserted.  
The Russian does not notice that he had followed him and turns around in wonderment when the red mist envelops him.  
"Doktor?"  
"Did you really think that I let you go alone?"  
"You should flee with the others."  
"And then?"  
Heavy looks at him in surprise.  
"You want to face it because you know your family is in danger if you stay alive. And I accompany you, because there is nothing worth living for. I have no family. I only have my job, but I could not pursue it because Mann Co. would try everything to make me disappear from the scene. Also was soll's..."  
Heavy seems to think. A smile finally appears on his face.  
"Da! Like the last five years?"  
"You are the tank and I your support." Medic raises his Medigun to indicate the Übercharge is ready. "And I'll have my eyes where yours can't get. As always."  
"Thank you."  
"You're welcome. I guess you want to see the secret part of the BLU base?"

They continue the way together.  
"Yes. There. Heavy wants to see this with his own eyes and hopes to kill as many robots as possible on the way there."  
"... are you thinking that you were a bit too strict with Scout and the others?"  
Heavy falters for a moment, but tries not to show it. But he cannot fool Medic. "You don't have to blame yourself. Your life is in danger. And since we are humans, it's only too understandable if we lose our head."  
"Death is an integral part of this world, so human behavior is illogical."  
"Well, that's the way it is. Unlike the animals, we are aware that we are going to die. That is enough. Some panic and others, like us, confront the danger. But that is not what makes us act differently."  
"Then what?"  
"It is the fact that we know, especially in your cases, that we must die and yet fight for our lives. Otherwise we could just let kill ourselves. But that does not allow for our survival instinct. Every living being is equipped with it from the ground up. Since birth. But everyone is different with it."  
"Maybe it's because Heavy does not want to die at all."  
"Yes... weird, right? I mean, every living thing is destined to die one day. But nobody thinks about that. Only when the time comes, people become aware of it. Mercenaries like us have been killing for years without being dead, which increases the risk of not appreciating death, of losing fear of it."  
"Heavy is not afraid of death. I never had. My only fear was that something would happen to my family. And if that means I have to die, then it should be like this."  
"There are very few selfless people. I know that because I've had deal with people all my life. Often a patient had to give up his life because neither friends nor family were willing to donate organs that would have saved the person."  
"Why?"  
"The reasons were very different. Because they was afraid of surgery, worried about their own life. Or because they were malicious and selfish. Maybe everything of it."  
"Is this the reason Doktor is all alone?"  
"Huh?"  
Heavy and Medic have reached the inside of the enemy base. At the crossroad to the courtyard and the sewer, Medic stops. Heavy looks down at him with that pitying look. Or is it compassionate?  
"Doctor has seen in so many years so many selfish and malicious people who have let friends and family members die. Is Doctor afraid of it because you're worried they might do it to you?"  
"Ludwig sighs beaten. "Before I met you, family had no meaning in my life and friendship were just an illusion in my eyes. You cannot trust anyone. In our first year together, I was pretty annoyed by the team. Everyone talked about their family and you treated each other as if you were friends. I didn't understand that. I cannot remember when that changed."  
"As Doctor said - we are human. No one wants to be alone. No matter how much persuade yourself of it."  
With a sad smile, Medic straightens his glasses. "I'm too old for a family."  
"But you had family. And still have."  
"…yes. Right. I forgot again. I'm sorry."  
"Friends and family are there for that." Heavy puts a hand on Medic's shoulder and gives him an encouraging smile. Ludwig replies this.  
"Oh!" Medic shudders as he realizes that they are both completely carelessly standing around here, where they are an easy target for the robots. Even Heavys Minigun is no longer whirling. He turns around in all directions, but there is nothing to see.  
Heavy interprets Medic's reaction and activates Sasha again. Her mechanical hum fills the base.  
"We must not be careless. I wish we'd talked so much about these things over the years, but that's too late now. Let us stay professional until the end."  
"Da, Doktor."  
Slowly they keep moving forward. Heavy leads, while Medic closely follows him, the Medigun pointed at him and making sure that they are not attacked from behind. The thought that the Robo-Spy is out of action eases the German, but then the question arises whether he is the only spy at all. Just because the BLU team had one spy does not mean that there's only one spy robot.

Suddenly the sweat is on his forehead and his heart is racing.  
_My God ... What is that? A ... panic attack?_  
Medic looks up at Heavy. His longtime colleague and friend has his eyes fixed straight ahead. He is so focused and determined, unshakeable. Like a rock in the surf.  
How do they get ammunition? But that's the point. They will fight back as long as they can. And when everything is exhausted, they will die. They both know that and they will accept it, so why does Ludwig feel so strange?  
_I'm probably older than I wanted to admit. I am ... just old._  
Medic shakes off these thoughts. Stay professional until the end! These were his own words, so he should stick to them. Human emotions have always been an obstacle. If he had ever been impressed in life, today he would not be the genius doctor he is. He should continue to handle it that way. After death, all these things lose their meaning anyway, and they should all look forward to it. Fear is irrational and death is the great patron who takes away their fear.  
"Doktor?"  
"Huh?"  
Confused, Medic looks up at Heavy, who looks worried.  
"Are you okay?"  
The doctor looks around. They are in the tiny courtyard of the BLU base. It feels like Medic just woke up from sleep.  
"I'm sorry. I just drifted off. And that, after I said we should concentrate. I'm really sorry. I'm really trying, but I feel I will not be much help in the remaining time..."  
"Why?"  
"I think I'm going senile."  
Heavy's body language speaks volumes. He is tense and there is concern and unbelief in his eyes.  
"I think you should kill me. Here. Now."  
Misha stays silent. The sound of his rotating Minigun fills the frozen night air. Then he turns his head away and starts up the stairs to the balustrade.  
"Doktor is indeed senile."  
Medic's reaction is a small smile. What did he expect? At the same time, he is ashamed of his words. That was anything but professional.  
Finally he follows him upstairs.

"And you just let them go? I thought we were holding together!"  
"We have all these years. But this situation is different. Everyone is alone when dying. Maybe everyone has to face his fate."  
"Demo, not you too!" Jeremy stares at the Scots stunned.  
I think I want to be alone now. Take care of yourself. "Tavish shoulders his Stickybomb Launcher, reaches under the table for a case of four bottles full of brandy, tucks it under his arm and climbs down the wooden steps to the courtyard.  
"And where do you want to go?" Scout calls after him. "Wherever you want to go, here you will not get very far!"  
"I didn't plan to travel around the world. I'll just find a corner and wait until fate finds me."  
"And if a robot does it?"  
"Boy!" Tavish gives Scout a stern look. "This IS my fate."

With these words Demoman departs.  
He follows the path to the crossroads, stops briefly and thinks about where he wants to retire. His gaze lingers on the debris seen at the entrance to the sewer after the heavy robot destroyed the stairs.  
_The sewer...? Why not? Best in the BLU base. There is a higher chance of encountering robots before I can drink myself insensitively._  
But the entrance in their base is destroyed and also Tavish would have to swim through the tub, to which he has absolutely no desire. So he takes the path across the bridge.  
He does not pay attention to any enemies. If it happens, it happens. But nothing and no one crosses his path.  
When the BLU base is reached, Tavish keeps to the left, descends the stairs to the sewer, wades through the tube to the channel bend, where he finally settles. At the top of the 5-step staircase he lets himself fall, puts his Stickybomb Launcher on the left and the case on the right side, opens a bottle, takes a strong sip and pulls out of his trouser pocket the picture of his old mother.  
"Oh mother ... I've disappointed you so many times. No takeover of the family business, no grandchildren. And now no return."  
Tavish begins to hum the melody of the song that his mother had sung to him while he was a child. His voice echoes from the concrete walls and fills the whole sewer.  
In his childhood, his mother had to work a lot and he stayed alone. He had neither father nor siblings. Just a nanny who took care of him and to whom he never had a connection. Often he cried because he missed his mother. He missed hearing her say that he is her greatest and most valuable possession. And suddenly he realizes that with his death the family tree will go down. Without his own children, he is the crown of the tree and the only thing that will remember the proud Scottish gender of DeGroot are the texts in the history book.  
Tavish was wrong. He is an _immense_ disappointment.  
He takes another, larger sip from the brown bottle.

"Great. Heavy and Medic gone, Demo gone ... What's wrong with you? If someone wants to go now, then please."  
"Calm down, Scout."  
"You want to go too? Please."  
Jeremy looks challengingly at Aiméric.  
"You don't want me to leave."  
"How do you want to know that" mocks the youngster.  
"For the same reason why I don't want you to go."  
"Don't come with that family shit now."  
"Jeremy, you are my son and I your father. Nothing and nobody in this world can ever change that. Even if you may wish that. But like hell I'll won't let you die here alone."  
"So what? Didn't says Demoman that everyone is alone when dying? That each of us must face his own fate?"  
"Your mother was my destiny. She and you."  
"Aha… okay…. And? What do we do now? Are we trying to escape?"  
"We cannot flee. That's why Heavy, Medic and Demoman left."  
"Then tell us what we should do!"  
"Hey, hey, hey. Keep calm." Engineer places himself between Spy and Scout, trying to appease. "We have to keep a cool head."  
"Why then? We will die miserably here anyway!"  
"Then I suggest you talk it out before the time comes!"  
"And you, Soldier?"  
"Wat?"  
"What will you do?"  
"I will do what I was born for! Fight! I've been hiding for far too long." He shoulders his rocket launcher and aims at the motionless Spy robot. "Take cover, maggots!"  
_"W-what are you going to do?"_  
"Wait!" Spy shouts, but Jane is already pulling the trigger and the missile firing around the room with a bang. Scout has to jump aside and with a loud explosion the robot shatters into a thousand pieces. A black cloud of smoke spreads and at first nobody can bring out a sound.  
"Are you crazy?" the runner screams in disbelief.  
"Idiot! Now you've destroyed the sapper, too" Spy growls.  
"I don't care! Now I will seek the confrontation!"  
Soldier is about to go out on the balustrade.  
"Without the doc, you shouldn't do rocket jumps" Dell reminds him.  
"I am guaranteed not to go on foot! Besides, I have to attack from above! Like an eagle, I will fall on my victims with my outstretched claws!"  
"Be reasonable, you would just blow yourself up. Besides, you always say how important it is not to let the team down."  
Soldier reflects for a moment on Engineer's words. "Now I'm conflicted..."  
"And you, Bushman? What will you do? When you're done staring at that arrowhead."  
"This arrowhead, Spook, is reinforced with steel."  
"So what?"  
"Normally, arrowheads are made of aluminum, which is why the victims usually survive if they do not get a head or heart shot. But with steel that looks different. It can easily destroy vital organs. Tavish was lucky."  
"Interesting…"  
"Indeed, it is."  
"That was meant sarcastically."  
"I know."  
Mundy and Aiméric stare at each other. They cannot resist, but there is a natural hostility between spies and snipers. In the beginning they got along very well. But over the years they have both been killed time and again by their professional colleagues. Mundy by BLU-Spy and Spy by BLU-Sniper. As a result, this mistrust had developed between them. Although they belong to the same team. And since then, they tease each other every now and then.  
It's a pity, in Spy's opinion. In old age, they could have become good friends.  
"Hey, Buddies..." interrupts Engineer. "Where is Pyro?"

"Come on, Pyro!"  
"What's going on here, mayor? In Pyroland Doppelgänger of my little fosterlings appear everywhere. But they are so different. Sad. They don't laugh at all. In addition, the ground collapses in some places. All of Pyroland seems to collapse!"  
Pyro follows the pink Balloonicorn down the colorful corridor down to the Town Hall room.  
"Indeed, my dear Pyro. And I'm afraid that an epidemic spreads in Pyroland."  
"An epidemic?"  
"Yes. A disease that kills the joy. And you know the motto of our beautiful little world - _be cheerful with all your heart, and life will be only half as hard_."  
"Yes, major."  
"You're my best man, when it comes to putting a smile on anyone's face and to make that happen, you have to get down to the root of the trouble."  
"Did you find the problem, mayor?"  
"I think so. My guess is that my evil counterpart - the sky blue Balloonicorn - is behind it."  
"How is that possible? He has burst during our last confrontation."  
"Someone must have inflated him again. He has learned from this and now he sends his lackeys ahead."

Pyro and Balloonicorn reach the lowest level. There in the corridor stands a figure with his back to them. Pyro falters. This figure is anything but harmless. He is in a blood red body suit, shoes and head black.  
And then he turns around.  
Large, round empty eyes of a mask staring at Pyro. In his gloved hands the stranger holds a kind of black staff. With a little imagination, it could be a modified form of Pyros Rainblower.  
"What of the holy lollipop... Did he inflate the sky-blue Balloonicorn?"  
"Most certainly! But do not be fooled, Pyro."  
"What do you mean, mayor?"  
A look into the rubbery eyes of the airy unicorn and Pyro fears to understand what he's trying to tell him. He looks down at himself, unsettled.  
His colorful costume and his equally colorful shoes suddenly look very different. They look exactly like what the stranger wears before him. Panic he grabs his face with his hands and feels something strange over his head. Only then does he notice these rubbery gloves over his hands, where otherwise his rainbow-colored mittens sit.  
Puzzled, Pyro looks around. His surroundings are blurred. The friendly-bright walls suddenly turn gray. But only for a moment.  
"W-what was that?"

"Mayor Balloonicorn, what is going on here?"  
"It's time to tell you the truth, my dear Pyro."  
Balloonicorn hovers in front of his face and touches it with his short forelegs. "You were not born in Pyroland."  
"What?!"  
"You do not remember, but when you were a little kid, a fire broke out in your childhood home. Your parents died, but you survived. But you were disfigured and everyone turned their backs in disgust. From then on, you were alone in this big, wide world. I felt your desperation and brought you here. I'm sorry I did not tell you that earlier, but now you have to make sure that the world that broke you does not get further into Pyroland."  
"….am I…still a child?"  
"You are my child and everything else does not count."  
"And why does it all happen? Do not I need you anymore?"  
"I do not know why that happens, but you're the only one who can stop it. It is completely up to you, if you want it at all..."  
Balloonicorn floats aside and gives Pyro the view back to the stranger. He had not moved from the spot, the empty eyes of the mask are still staring at him.  
Suddenly he lifts the staff in his hand and blows a bright beam into the air. Hot air blows towards Pyro.  
"What is that?"  
"Fire."  
Pyro is startled by this word. Fire. That, what had stolen everything from him from the old world and now it is here, in his idyllic world, to take everything from him again? Strangely enough, he does not feel any fear of it. But on the contrary. The red-yellow hot flames awaken fascination in him.  
"How can I defeat it?"  
"Water is very effective."  
Water? Pyro reinforces his grip on the handle of the canister in his left hand. What a coincidence! Only a little while ago, his little friends had given him a canister of water! When he shakes it, it splatters inside. It's filled to the top with water. That should be enough to destroy the fire. Pyro will also pour some water over himself. If his clothes are wet, it shouldn't catch fire. And then, with his Rainblower, he will wrap soap bubbles around the stranger. After all, they also consist of water, aren't they?  
_But ... why do I feel that with the destroying of the fire, I will destroy myself...?_  
But he has no choice. He has to defend Pyroland! For that reason alone for his little friends. Because they can least for all the suffering that threatens to come over them.

Pyro drops his Rainblower, grabs the canister with both hands and pours the water over himself. It's as beautiful and colorful as soap bubbles.  
With the rest he covers the stranger in front of him. Both of them are now wrapped in colors that run down them. Quickly Pyro picks up his Rainblower and shoots a bubble jet towards the intruder. When the soap bubbles come in contact with the water, there is a rainbow that envelops the whole guy. His reaction is to point his black stuff at Pyro. The golden fire sticks on him and envelops him.  
It is the first time in his life that he consciously feels pain. Again it changes from Pyroland to the other world and back again. In Pyroland it is a sweet pain, in the other world the pain is unbearable. And the longer the pain lasts, the more often the worlds change, with Pyroland increasingly being replaced.  
The figure in front of him is now clearly visible.  
"That's…me…"  
The fire has already eaten through the clothing and skin and that forces Pyro to his knees.  
"To destroy a whole world, sometimes it just needs a look in the mirror, my dear Pyro."  
In other words, he failed. The colorful world is now completely gone and gray is now the reality.  
Next to the pain, Pyro now feels fear and loneliness.

_"PYRO!"_  
A voice calls his name. But it seems so far away.  
His doppelganger in front of him is still standing. The fire does not seem to hurt him. Another failure. Pyro is so useless. He should have died as a child in the fire then. But now the past has caught up with him and he has to pay the price for it.  
"PYRO!"  
There it is again, the voice. Pyro would have loved to know to who it belongs, but he cannot scream, cannot lure it to him.  
The fire is now inside him and eating his organs. Pyro can feel how everything melts. He can still stand on his knees. But as soon as he falls, it will be over.

_"PYRO!"_  
With his last strength, Pyro turns his head. There they stand, his little friends. But they are not that small anymore. They no longer wear diapers and their wings are gone, too.  
They have grown up. The sight of his friend with the yellow hat hurts much more than the fire. He especially liked him. But now that he's grown up, he no longer needs Pyro's protection. He is grateful that he was allowed to see him one last time.

Pyro collapses in front of Dell's eyes.  
"Pyro, no!"  
"Engineer, stay back! Do you also want to go up in flames?"  
Spy holds back the Texan, Mundy helps. Unlike them, Soldier and Scout notice the burning pyro-robot immediately.  
"That thing burns brightly, but it does not seem to bother it!"  
"It takes more FIRE!" Jane shoulders his rocket launcher.  
"The hell…?!"  
"Get down!" It crackles as Soldier pulls the trigger and a red glowing rocket carves into the metal torso. The collision is that much violent that the robot is thrown back. Before it hits the wall behind it, it's torn to pieces with a loud explosion. Body parts of metal and flesh are distributed in the corridor.  
Everyone is frozen.  
"Krit. Fair and balanced."  
"Quick, we have to extinguish him!" Dell looks around desperately. His eyes fall on the robot's flamethrower, miraculously left intact. He picks it up, but when his unprotected left hand touches the surface, a scream of pain escapes him and he drops the weapon.  
"What are you doing, Truckie?"  
"The air blast!"  
"Spy, you're wearing gloves. Try it."  
"I would do it, but they are not thick enough. I would burn my hands."  
"You all are wimps! Here, hold it for a minute, boy." Soldier pushes his rocket launcher into Scout's hand and approaches Engineer. He kicks a leg to the side, which is lying on his way.  
"No, Solly! Your hands are completely unprotected-"  
"Nonsense!"  
Jane pulls the flamethrower out of his right hand, takes it into his own two and activates the compressed air. A strong draft blows over Pyro's burning body, but it takes two tries for the fire to go out. Soldier drops the flamethrower with trembling hands.  
To endure the burning pain, he clenches them to fists.  
"Let me take a look."  
"It's nothing" Soldier growls, but he still allows Engineer to take a look at them. His palms are crimson from the fingertips to the heels of his hands. In some places, the skin is even slightly open.  
"Quick Scout! Get cloths, rags or something and wet them!" Dell orders.  
"We-we have no water at top…"  
"Then use the water in the sewer!"  
Jeremy cringes with the loud voice and almost dropped the rocket launcher. He hands it to Spy and then sets off immediately.  
Aiméric sets aside the portable rocket artillery and looks down at the lifeless pyro with Mundy. His suit is completely black, smoke rises from his body and this stench...  
"He wore a fireproof suit. How could he burn?"  
"Are you okay?" asks Engineer Solly.  
"Damn, yes. It's nothing."  
"Thanks…"  
"That's not worth mentioning…"

Now Engineer sinks to the floor in front of Pyro. He reaches for him with his right hand, would love to take him in his arms. The canister he gave him before catches his eye.  
"Gasoline ... He doused himself and the robot with gas. That's why he burned."  
"Right ... Now that you say it, it smells like gas." Spy's nose goes up.  
"Why did he do that? Why did he douse himself with gas?" Mundy presses on.  
"Who knows... Pyro lived in his own world" Soldier answers tonelessly.  
"…I should have taken better care of him."  
"It was not your fault, Chér."  
"I bet he would have loved to live on my ranch." Dell's voice trembles. He pulls up his goggles, wipes his eyes with his sleeve and immediately puts his glasses back on.  
"I want him to get a funeral."  
"Truckie-"  
"I will not leave him here! And if I have to do it alone!"  
"All right, Engineer. We will help you. But we should wait a little until he... cools down, okay?"  
A nod is all that Dell can gives as an answer.

"I'll get my shovel."  
"You want to dig a grave with your wounded hands?" asks Spy with a raised eyebrow.  
"No, I'll get my shovel so you can shovel a grave, Frenchie. Or are your gloves not thick enough for that too?"  
"Hmpf…"  
"Where's the boy…"  
As if on cue, light footsteps are coming fast near, and a moment later Jeremy rushes around the corner. In his hands he holds long, red scraps of cloth that are drip wet and quickly form a puddle on the floor.  
"Here."  
Engineer takes the fabrics and ties it carefully around Soldier's hands.  
"MEDIC!"  
Engineer freezes in his motion and looks at Jane perplexed.  
"Sorry… Force of habit. The Doc is never there when you need him."  
"That's not fair, Jane."  
"Yeah…"

"What did you do with your shirt, Jeremy?"  
Scout turns to Spy.  
"I was so rattled that I first ran into the sewer instead of looking for rags in respawn first. When I realized that, I didn't want to waste time running back, so I torn my shirt to pieces." Scout looks down at himself. The top ends just above his belly button. "Do you have a problem with it?"  
"On the contrary. You did well."  
"…!? Yeah, thanks… And um… what are we doing now?"  
"Pay our last respects to our fallen comrade."


End file.
